bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The use of thein vitrofermentation technique to estimate the digestible energy content of some Egyptian forages I. Thein vitrodigestion of cellulose as a criterion of energy content
Authors: Naga M. M. A. , el-Shazly K. 
Published: March 2009

Twelve digestibility trials were carried out using three adult rams on seven legumes and five nonlegume roughages.In vitrofermentations were carried out over 24 hr. and the percentage cellulose digestion was determined. The whole rumen juice used to inoculate the fermentation tubes was obtained from a sheep with a permanent rumen fistula. Carbon dioxide was bubbled through during the fermentation run, unless otherwise indicated, to ensure anaerobic conditions.The following significant correlations were calculated from the results:In vivoandin vitrocellulose digestion for non-legumes:r= 0·93.In vivocellulose digestion and D.E./kg. D.M. for non-legumes:r= 0·90.In vitrocellulose digestion and D.E./kg. D.M. for non-legumes:r= 0·90.In vitrocellulose digestion and D.E./kg. D.M. for non-legumes + alfalfa and cashrangeeg:r= 0·91.In vitrocellulose digestion and D.E./kg. D.M. for all forages tested gave a highly significant correlation:r= 0·73.In vitrocellulose digestion and D.E./kg. D.M. for legumes:r= −0·77.Regression equations calculated for non-legumes and for all tested forages, when used for predicting D.E./kg. D.M. gave values which differed from the determined digestible energy by ± 8·70and ± 9·90% respectively. Applying Hershberger's regression equation to the present data, the D.E./kg. D.M. values differed by ± 8·69%.
The nutritive value of grasses grown in Uganda when fed to zebu cattle I. The relation between the percentage of crude protein and other nutrients
Authors: Bredon R. M. , Harker K. W. , Marshall B. 
Published: March 2009

The use of the percentage of crude protein in grass consumed by cattle as a means of estimating the nutritive value of grass was investigated. Regression equations expressing the correlation between crude protein and the digestibility coefficients of crude protein, organic and dry matter were calculated.A close correlation between the percentage of crude protein in faeces and in consumed grass was found, and a regression equation was calculated.
The productivity of five grass species at six levels of compound fertilizer application I. Dry-matter production
Authors: Henderson J. L. , Edwards R. S. , Hammerton J. L. 
Published: March 2009

1. Data on the dry-matter production of five grass species (each sown with white clover), over the period 1954–56, at six levels of compound fertilizer application, are reported. Perennial ryegrass (S. 101), meadow fescue (S. 215), timothy (S. 48), cocksfoot (S. 26) and bent (N.Z. browntop) were sown in 1953 at appropriate seed rates, each with 2 lb. per acre S. 100 white clover. The fertilizer treatments were 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 cwt. per acre of a compound of composition 10% N, 4% P2O5 and 9·5% K2O, applied in the early spring of each of the years 1954–56. The swards were cut three times a year in 1954 and 1956, but only two cuts were possible in 1955.2. The timothy mixture gave the highest total production of dry-matter over the 3 years, the bent and perennial rye-grass mixtures giving the lowest total productions. Differences between mixtures in annual yield varied in sign and in magnitude from year to year. For example, bent gave the lowest yield in 1954, but outyielded the meadow fescue and the cocksfoot mixtures in 1955, and the perennial rye-grass mixture in 1956. As regards the distribution of dry-matter production over the season, it was found that bent differed from the other mixtures in that a higher proportion of its annual yield was produced at the second and third cuts.3. There were significant linear relationships of dry-matter yield to fertilizer application rate in most of the data. On average over the 3 years, 1·6 cwt. of dry-matter were produced for each cwt. of spring applied fertilizer in the first cut, 0·7 cwt. per cwt. of fertilizer in the second cut, while very small and non-significant responses were found in the third cut. There was no evidence of systematic differences between grass mixtures in response to fertilizer level.4. The yield of clover dry-matter in 1956 (the third harvest year) was least from the cocksfoot and timothy swards, and was significantly and linearly depressed by fertilizer application in all three cuts.
A study of growth in swards of timothy and meadow fescue III. The effect of two levels of nitrogen under two cutting treatments
Authors: Lambert D. A. 
Published: March 2009

1. Pure swards of S. 48 timothy and S. 215 meadow fescue receiving approximately 52 or 156 lb. N per acre over a period of 8 months were cut (a) at anthesis and twice thereafter or (6) every 4 weeks. The number and weight of tillers and leaves and annual plot yields were determined.2. Tiller numbers rose to their highest in spring and then declined throughout the summer. The higher rate of nitrogen increased tillers in the meadow fescue more than in the timothy; the system of frequent defoliation resulted in enhanced production of tillers in the low nitrogen swards of both species, so that maximum populations within a species were similar under the two levels of nitrogen.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) micro-imaging of stems of Linum usitatissimum
Authors: McDougall G. J. , Goodman B. A. , Chudek J. A. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) micro-imaging techniques have been employed to study noninvasively the spatial distribution of mobile protons (1H) around the cotyledonary node of flax (Linum usitatissimum) plants of two differing growth morphologies. The gross anatomy of the tissues of the stem can be discerned as a result of differences in their mobile 1H contents. The technique produced excellent images of the complex changes in stem structure that occur at the point of origin of side shoots. Detailed structure within the xylem could be visualized and the presence of fibre bundles deduced as dark areas amongst tissues of higher 1H signal intensity.As a result of the non-invasive and non-destructive nature of NMR-imaging, the images obtained have been compared to micrographs obtained by conventional histological techniques on the same plant tissue. In general, the two approaches produce comparable results, but the NMR images are influenced by the relaxation properties of the protons as well as their concentration. Paramagnetic species, such as Mn2+ ions, produce enhanced relaxation rates of protons in their vicinity and an apparent increase in proton density at short recycle times. Thus an NMR image can yield both chemical and structural information. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of this technique over conventional histological methods are discussed.
Irrigation and water use in leafless peas (Pisum sativum)
Authors: Silim S. N. , Hebblethwaite P. D. , Jones C. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYField trials at the University of Nottingham, UK, in 1979 and 1980 investigated the effect of moisture stress on the growth and yield of the leafless dried pea Filby. In the absence of drought, the crop photosynthetic area was increased and maturity delayed. Seed yield was increased by the production of a greater number of reproductive nodes and a reduced abortion of flowers and pods.In the second season, two sowing dates were also tested. Later sowing reduced the seed yield under the high and low moisture treatments by 14 and 33% respectively, due to an increased abortion of flowers and pods. The high moisture treatment reduced the water use efficiency (WUE) in this season and WUE was lower for the later sown crops, but there was no effect on WUE in the previous season.The seed yield and water use of pot-grown leafless peas were lower than were those of a nearisogenic line of leafed peas. Moisture stress reduced the yield of both phenotypes but the effect on the leafless pea was greater. Moisture stress imposed at flowering reduced yields more than it did at pod filling and there was an additive effect of moisture stress at both times.
The concentration of minerals in the blood of genetically diverse groups of sheep: II. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and chlorine concentrations for three hill-breeds and their crosses at pasture
Authors: Field A. C. , Wiener Gerald , Wood Jean 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThree-hundred and thirty-four female sheep of the Blackface, Cheviot and Welsh Mountain breeds and the crosses among these breeds kept as one flock at pasture were bled in September 1966. Concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, Na and Cl were determined on plasma and P on whole blood. Mean concentrations (mg/100 ml) were: Ca 9·65; P 5·54; Mg 2·02; K 23·2; Na 345; Cl 365; and coefficients of variation (%) 11·1, 18·1, 29·0, 10·5 6·7 and 2·3 respectively.Breed was a highly significant (P< 0·01) source of variation for Ca, P, Mg and Cl, but except for Mg, the contribution to the total variance was small (< 10 %). Average values for cross-bred ewes deviated significantly (P < 0–05) from those of pure-bred for Ca and P concentration. Live-weight, within class, had a small but significant effect on Ca and Mg concentration.The concentration of Ca and Mg declined very significantly with age of ewe, there was a similar trend for K, while P showed a slight but steady tendency to increase with age, and Cl showed a more erratic increase.For Ca, barren ewes had a lower concentration (– 0·44 mg/100 ml) than ewes with lambs whilst ewes with single lambs at birth had lower concentrations (– 0·35) than ewes with twins. Other factors with effects too large to be ignored (P< 0·1) were the interaction of breed x no. of lambs (K and Cl) and swayback history (Cl).
Urea supplementation of roughage-based diets for cattle
Authors: O'Donovan P. B. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThirty-two growing bullocks were fed long barley straw ad libitum in each of three experiments; urea was added to the latter or to a diet of straw supplemented with either 1·36 or 2·72 kg meal. The amount of urea fed was 75 g per animal daily. In a fourth experiment, a basal allowance of 3·64 kg chopped hay was fed to thirty-two bullocks weighing 287 kg; in addition 4·55 kg of meal was fed in which none, one-half or all the supplemental nitrogen was supplied as urea. Rate of gain and straw intake of animals given straw only was similar to that of animals given straw and urea. Feeding 1·36 kg of either rolled barley or rolled barley supplemented with 10% soyabean meal, in addition to straw, did not elicit a response from urea. A response was obtained from urea when 2·72 kg of a barley–soyabean meal mixture was fed with straw. Blood urea concentrations generally reached a maximum at the third week of urea feeding and declined thereafter. Addition of urea to straw raised blood urea to about the same extent as incorporating urea with 1·36 kg of rolled barley. Blood concentrations were higher when the urea was fed with meal than when mixed with molasses. Nitrogen retention from urea was not significantly increased by feeding 1·36 kg of barley with straw ad libitum as compared to the retention on an all-straw ration. Slightly more nitrogen was retained when urea was added to rolled barley instead of a rolled barley–soyabean meal (10%) mixture. A ration of hay (3·64 kg) and 4·55 kg of barley promoted gains which were not significantly different from those of animals fed additional nitrogen as soyabean meal or urea. This indicates that the foregoing ration supplied enough nitrogen to meet the animals' requirement.
The feed intake of grazing sheep differing in age, breed, previous nutrition and live weight
Authors: Langlands J. P. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYTwo flocks of Merino wethers ranging in age from 3 to 87 months grazed a poor (L) or high (H) quality pasture for 3 months. The flocks were then combined, and intake was estimated while the sheep grazed four different pastures in succession. In a second experiment, flocks of Merino, Border Leicester, Southdown and Dorset Horn ewes of varying ages grazed in succession six pastures on which intakes were estimated and live weights recorded. The digestibility of the diet selected, as estimated from the faecal nitrogen concentration, declined with age by 0·053 units per month in Exp. (2) and curvilinearly in Exp. (1). In both experiments faecal output of sheep of similar breed receiving similar treatments increased with age to approximately 3 years and declined thereafter. In neither experiment was there a significant allometric relationship between intake and live weight.The intake of the L group was consistently greater than that of the H group when both groups grazed together. The differences were correlated with the quantity of green feed available. The faecal output of Dorset Horns, Merinos, Southdowns and Border Leicesters at 28·7 months of age was calculated to be 451, 402, 346 and 588 g per day respectively in Exp. (2). Mean digestibility of the diet selected estimated by the faecal nitrogen procedure was 65·1, 63·0, 64·7 and 64·5 units at 28·7 months for the Dorset Horns, Merinos, Southdowns and Border Leicesters respectively. Differences between breeds in faecal output and in the digestibility of the diet were significant.
Effects of simplifying feeding methods for growing pigs by using a single ration throughout and by providing cereal and supplement components unmixed
Authors: Braude R. , Rowell J. G. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA co-ordinated trial has been carried out at sixteen centres to compare the following three feeding methods for growing pigs: (1) ‘sow and weaner’ type meal up to 120 lb live weight, followed by ‘finishing’ type meal to slaughter; (2) ‘sow and weaner’ type meal from start to slaughter; (3) as (2), but the cereal and supplement components given separately (not mixed).Using the sow-and-weaner type meal throughout, rather than changing to a lower protein diet at 120 lb live weight, resulted in slight improvements (less than 2½%) in over-all growth rate and feed conversion; these improvements were not sufficient to compensate for the higher feed costs. None of the carcass measurements was significantly affected.Lack of mixing of the cereal and supplement components did not harm the performance of the pigs and so farmers who produce their own cereals and buy concentrates may reduce costs by the elimination of mixing.
Some biochemical aspects of the preservation of buffalo semen
Authors: Srivastava P. N. , Raza Nasir M. M. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYInitial pH of buffalo semen as measured electrometrically is 7.2 ± 0.025 and the buffering capacity 1.40 ± 0.026. Sulphamezathine in glucose–egg yolk–bicarbonate diluent depressed fructolysis in buffalo semen. This depression is considered to be a factor in the better maintenance of motility in this than in other media investigated. The more alkaline pH of this medium also appears to be beneficial in preserving motility on storage.
The effect of the time of application of nitrogen and potassium on the growth of the second early potato, variety Craig's Royal
Authors: Gunasena H. P. M. , Harris P. M. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effect of time of application of nitrogen and potassium on the growth, development and yield of the second early variety Craig's Royal was studied by the technique of growth analysis. There was an indication that witholding nutrients led to the earlier initiation of tubers, but this was of no practical consequence and all treatments affected tuber bulking rate rather than the duration of bulking. Compared with early application, late application of nitrogen depressed tuber yield, although total drymatter yield was not affected. Late application of potassium, however, increased tuber yield; this was associated with an improvement in the recovery of applied potassium. Delaying the application of nitrogen also resulted in its more efficient recovery in the crop. Late application of potassium improved the recovery of early applied nitrogen and vice versa. Reasons are put forward to account for these effects.
Some effects of crop rotation on the productivity of crops on a red earth in a semi-arid tropical climate
Authors: Bennison R. H. , Evans D. D. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe yield of crops in the low rainfall areas of eastern Kenya has been shown to vary within each season according to the crops grown in preceding seasons. This phenomenon of crop sequence was associated more especially with the amount of soil nitrates remaining at all depths in the soil than with the amount of water that may be left. The quantity of nitrates left by a crop was generally related to its vegetative bulk, its rooting habit and duration on the ground, and increased as the crops were ranked in the order: local maize, short-term maize, silage maize, beans and fallow. The beneficial effect of a bean crop or a fallow was reflected in a third crop when the intermediate crop had a low nitrogen requirement.The persistence of the relative differences in the nitrate levels in the soil would seem to be due to their low mobility under leaching.The increase in yield of a crop was shown to be due to the more rapid development of the crop when nitrate supplies were more plentiful. When the duration of the rains was short the earlier, more abundant flowering resulting from the rapid growth gave better grain set, and hence greater and more reliable yields. When crops matured in dry weather the availability of soil nitrates at depths of up to 4 ft had a positive influence on yield.Although rainfall was the main determinant of yield within each season, the use of fallowing to store water from one season to the next was inefficient. Similar amounts could be held in cropped land if late rains occurred. If early rains were plentiful the benefit of stored water could be lost by the thorough wetting of the soil profile.
A comparison between a method of jointing meat carcasses based upon their anatomical structure and a method based upon standardized butchering practice: II. Comparison of the uniformity of results
Authors: Williams D. R. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA standardized butcher-type method (B) in which anatomical reference points were used to determine cutting lines was compared with a semi-anatomical method (A) in which the jointing was based still more closely upon the anatomy of meat animals. Thirty-two lamb carcasses were split by hand sawing and the sides prepared for quartering, quartered and finally jointed into five hindquarter and five forequarter joints by one or other of two operators by either method A or method B according to a pre-arranged plan. Operator bias in the preparation of the sides for quartering was only noteworthy for the removal of internal fats.Method A proved to be more consistent than method B, but the degree of advantage varied for different joints. In terms of the coefficients of variation for different joints by the two methods, method A had an advantage in consistency over method B for eight of the ten joints into which each side was divided.The reproducibility of the semi-anatomical method (A) could be further improved by adopting more fully anatomical methods of joining.The application and implications of an anatomical method in the excision of sample joints is noted.
An experiment comparing urea-formaldehyde fertilizer with ‘nitro-chalk’ for Italian ryegrass
Authors: Widdowson F. V. , Penny A. , Williams R. J. B. 
Published: March 2009

1. Italian ryegrass was used in 1958 and in 1959 to compare ‘single’ spring dressings of urea-formaldehyde fertilizer (UF) with equivalent spring dressings of ‘Nitro-Chalk’ (NC), and with ‘repeated’ NC (divided equally between three cuttings). Barley measured residues in 1960.2. At the first cut each year, yields from UF and repeated NC were similar, but later NC gave much larger yields. Aggregate increases from UF were less than half those from equivalent NC.3. Both forma of nitrogen had residual value for grass and barley.4. Maximum recovery of N, over 3 years, was 54% for UF and 90% for equivalent NC. Single NC dressings were recovered more completely than repeated dressings.5. The maximum aggregate uptakes over 2 years by grass receiving 2·0 cwt. N/acre each year were 72 lb. P and 611 lb. K/acre.
The relationship between the cell-wall constituents of roughages and the digestibility of the organic matter
Authors: Gaillard Blanche D. E. 
Published: March 2009

There is a strong correlation between the digestibility of the organic matter and the percentage crude fibre, percentage lignin, and percentage cellulose plus lignin in the foodstuffs examined.There is evidence that the holocellulose and xylan in grasses are different from those in legumes in the extent to which they are digested. It is suggested that this is due mainly to the xylans or hemicellulose fraction in the forages, and may be a reflexion of a different molecular structure for the xylans in either group.Within each group of plants both the holocellulose and xylan percentages are strongly correlated to the percentage digestible organic matter.Excessive heating of hay led to a marked rise in the percentage lignin. This is probably due to the xylans becoming horny and insoluble, therefore being determined as lignin. This also offers an explanation for the decrease in digestibility of the organic matter.
Heat stress and development of the conceptus in domestic sheep
Authors: Alexander G. , Williams D. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYIn four series of experiments Merino ewes were exposed to ambient temperatures of about 44 °C and water vapour pressure of 33 mmHg for 9 h daily, and to 32 °C and 18 mmHg for the remaining 15 h daily, during the middle third, the final third or the final two-thirds of pregnancy. Birth weight and the weight of the placenta were considerably reduced by the treatments and the reductions were considerably more than could be accounted for by the partial loss of appetite produced by heating.There was a close inverse relationship between birth weight and the elevated rectal temperature of heated ewes in several series; but the absence of foetal dwarfing in ewes with elevated rectal temperatures due to daily heating for only 9 h at 44 °C indicates that the elevated rectal temperature of the ewe is not the main cause of dwarfing.Contrary to previous suggestions, the dwarfed lambs were not proportional miniatures, for the head components, the body lengths, the kidneys and adrenal glands were disproportionately large in heated lambs, while the liver, thyroid and thymus glands and the biceps femoris muscle were disproportionately small, and the ratio of secondary to primary wool fibres was very much reduced. There were cavities in the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres of heat-dwarfed lambs.The hypothesis that foetal dwarfing is due to stunting of the placenta was examined, but conflicting evidence was obtained in the different series. However, it appears that under some circumstances a heat-stunted placenta is capable of considerable growth in the absence of heating during the final third of pregnancy, when the placenta is normally shrinking, and that placental shrinkage in late pregnancy may be greatly accelerated by the application of heat.Neither thyroxine nor a preparation of ovine growth hormone, injected into heated ewes, prevented foetal dwarfing; the injections of growth hormone appeared to increase foetal mortality.