bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nutritional and haemagglutination properties of several tropical seeds
Authors: Grant G. , More L. J. , McKenzie N. H. , Dorward P. M. , Buchan W. C. , Telek L. , Pusztai A. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe nutritional potential of a number of raw tropical seeds was assessed in a series of feeding trials with rats. Seed lectin reactivity was also monitored, α-amylase and trypsin inhibitory activities were determined in some of the seeds.Abelmosclius esculentus, Chenopodium quinoa, Delonix regia, Macroptilium lathyroides, Papaver sonmiferum, Parkia biglandulosa, Sesbania arabica, Terminalia catappa, Vigna subterranea, Vigna umbellata and Vigna unguiculata seeds supported moderate rat growth. The seeds contained only low levels of essentially non-toxic lectin, moderate amounts of trypsin inhibitors and negligible quantities of a-amylase inhibitors and they have great potential as dietary protein sources for man and animals.Artocarpus altilis, Canavalia ensiformis, Canavalia maritima, Dioclea grandiflora, Phaseolus acutifolius, Phaseolus coccineus and Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Processor, cv. Rosinha G2 and cv. Carioca 80 seeds were toxic. These seeds contained high levels of potentially toxic lectins. Other antinutritional factors may also have contributed to the high oral toxicity of some of these seeds.Albizia adinocephala, Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia violacea, Cassia nodosa, Cassia tora, Dioclea sclerocarpa, Entada phaseoloides, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Leucaena leucocephala and Moringa oleifera seeds were also highly toxic but had only low levels of essentially non-toxic lectins suggesting that the toxicity was due to other anti-nutritional factors.Bauhinia reticulata, Macrotyloma uniflorum and Tamarindus indica proteins were poorly digested and utilized. The seeds contained low levels of lectins which agglutinated only rat and cattle erythrocytes which had been pre-treated with suitable proteases. Brownea macrophylla had a similar lectin reactivity.
Effects of synchronizing the rate of dietary energy and nitrogen release in diets with a similar carbohydrate composition on rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in sheep
Authors: Sinclair L. A. , Garnsworthy P. C. , Newbold J. R. , Buttery P. J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effects of synchronizing dietary energy and nitrogen supply in diets with a similar carbohydrate composition on microbial protein synthesis and rumen fermentation were examined in sheep. Two diets were formulated to be either synchronous (diet S) or asynchronous (diet A) for the hourly release of nitrogen (N) and energy to the rumen. Diet S contained (g/kg) 425 g wheat straw, 400 g winter barley, 150 grapeseed meal and 25 g minerals/vitamins and diet A contained 505 g wheat straw, 458.5 g winter barley, 11·5 g urea and 25 g minerals/vitamins. Both diets were fed at the rate of 1 kg/day in four equal portions, to four cannulated sheep, in two periods in a change-over design. Rumen ammonia concentrations followed the predicted hourly trend in N degradation with a peak 1 h after feeding of 10 mM for diet S and 16 mM for diet A before falling within 3 h of feeding to 4 ITIM in animals fed either diet. Rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations followed the cyclical trend predicted by stoichiometric equations, whilst rumen VFA ratios were more stable than predicted in animals fed either diet. The observed content of rumen degradable protein and organic matter truly degraded in the rumen was similar for both diets. The increase in total CHO digested in the rumen observed with diet A (427 g/kg DM) compared with diet S (364 g/kg DM) can be attributed to the greater content of starch in the asynchronous diet, which had a high degradability. The efficiency of microbial protein synthesis (g N/kg OM truly degraded in the rumen) was 11–20% greater in animals fed the synchronous diet (S) than the asynchronous diet (A). It is concluded that microbial N production was more efficient when dietary energy and N supply were synchronized.
Seed-size effects on lentil (Lens culinaris) yield potential and adaptation to temperature and rainfall in West Asia
Authors: Erskine W. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYAmong lentil-growing regions, it is only in West Asia that both large-seeded, yellow cotyledon and small-seeded, red cotyledon lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) are grown by farmers. This study examined the adaptation to temperature and rainfall of the two seed-size groups in West Asia; first in germplasm evaluated in Syria in the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons and assessed for cold susceptibility in Turkey in the 1979/80 season, and second in breeding lines over the decade 1984–93 at three sites in West Asia.Large-seeded material consistently had a longer reproductive growth period than the small-seeded group by 2·8 days, an extended period being required to fill its greater seed mass per pod. In the breeding material, the large-seeded group consistently produced taller plants and more straw than the smaller seeded-group. Germplasm with large seeds was less susceptible to winter cold than that with small seeds. Additionally, in the breeding material there was an advantage in seed yield of the largeseeded group over the small seeds in average temperatures < 10 °C from January to April, with the converse true at higher temperatures. In the breeding material, the large-seeded group showed an advantage in seed yield over their small-seeded counterparts at the two wetter sites, whereas the smallseeded group was better adapted to dry environments. Based on this adaptation, the potential of some regions currently growing exclusively large-seeded lentil for producing the other seed type is emphasised.
Sewage sludge applications to grassland: influence of sludge type, time and method of application on nitrate leaching and herbage yield
Authors: Misselbrook T. H. , Shepherd M. A. , Pain B. F. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYSewage sludge applications were made to two freely draining grassland sites of contrasting rainfall in SW England in 1991/92 and 1992/93. Applications were made in autumn, winter and spring (following first silage cut), with raw sludge applied by injection and digested sludge both as a surface application and injection at application rates of 140 m3/ha and 125 m3/ha for raw and digested sludge respectively. A tine-only treatment and an untreated control were also included. Nitrate leaching was measured following autumn and winter applications using porous ceramic cups. Average NO3--N concentrations in drainage water exceeded the EC limit for potable water of ll·3 mg/l following autumn injection of digested sludge at one site for both years. Average concentrations in drainage water for all other sludge treatments were below this limit. Up to 24, 11 and 6% of the applied total N was leached from injected digested, surface-applied digested and injected raw sludge respectively. Autumn applications resulted in greater leaching losses than winter application. Leaching losses were greater from digested than from raw sludge when both were applied by deep injection. Injection of digested sludge as compared to surface application exacerbated nitrate leaching losses. Herbage yields and N recoveries were better from later sludge applications, with the exception of injection treatments, where spring sludge injection during a prolonged dry period resulted in yield reductions as compared to autumn injection.
Differences in phasic development rate amongst wheat cultivars independent of responses to photoperiod and vernalization. A viewpoint of the intrinsic earliness hypothesis
Authors: Slafer G. A. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYDifferences amongst wheat cultivars in the rate of reproductive development are largely dependent on differences in their sensitivity to photoperiod and vernalization. However, when these responses are accounted for, by growing vernalized seedlings under long photoperiods, cultivars can still differ markedly in time to ear emergence. Control of rate of development by this ‘third factor’ has been poorly understood and is variously referred to as intrinsic earliness, earliness in the narrow sense, basic vegetative period, earlinessper se, and basic development rate. Certain assumptions are made in the concept of intrinsic earliness. They are that differences in intrinsic earliness (i) are independent of the responses of the cultivars to photoperiod and vernalization, (ii) apply only to the length of the vegetative period up to floral initiation (as suggested by several authors), (iii) are maintained under different temperatures, measured either in days or degree days. As a consequence of this, the ranking of cultivars (from intrinsically early to intrinsically late) must be maintained at different temperatures. This paper, by the re-analysis of published data, examines the extent to which these assumptions can be supported.Although it is shown that intrinsic earliness operates independently of photoperiod and vernalization responses, the other assumptions were not supported. The differences amongst genotypes in time to ear emergence, grown under above-optimum vernalization and photoperiod (that is when the response to these factors is saturated), were not exclusively due to parallel differences in the length of the vegetative phase, and the length of the reproductive phase was independent of that of the vegetative phase. Thus, it would be possible to change the relative allocation of time to vegetative and reproductive periods with no change in the full period to ear emergence.The differences in intrinsic earliness between cultivars were modified by the temperature regime under which they were grown, i.e. the difference between cultivars (both considering the full phase to ear emergence or some sub-phases) was not a constant amount of time or thermal time at different temperatures. In addition, in some instances genotypes changed their ranking for ‘intrinsic earliness’ depending on the temperature regime. This was interpreted to mean that while all genotypes are sensitive to temperature they differ amongst themselves in the extent of that sensitivity.Therefore, ‘intrinsic earliness’ should not be considered as a static genotypic characteristic, but the result of the interaction between the genotype and temperature. Intrinsic earliness is therefore likely to be related to temperature sensitivity. Some implications of these conclusions for plant breeding and crop simulation modelling are discussed.
Vigour of ramie (Boehmeria nivea) plants grown from rhizomes as an index for selecting for ease of establishment from stem cuttings
Authors: Ahuja S. L. , Tuteja O. P. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYIn studies of 36 genotypes of Boehmeria nivea, height of plants grown from rhizomes at 70, 90 and 110 days after planting showed positive and significant phenotypic and genotypic correlations with establishment percentage from stem cuttings, indicating that genotypes producing tall plants from rhizomes could establish more easily from stem cuttings than genotypes producing shorter plants. A higher genotypic than phenotypic correlation coefficient and a higher coheritability percentage indicated that plant height and establishment percentage were genetically linked and influenced little by environment. It was concluded that vigour of plants grown from rhizomes may be used as a criterion in selection of genotypes for ease of establishment of stem cuttings.
Seasonal changes in leaf water relations and cell membrane stability in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata)
Authors: Premachandra G. S. , Saneoka H. , Fujita K. , Ogata S. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYFifteen cultivars of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) were grown in the field at Hiroshima University, Japan, to investigate seasonal changes in leaf water relations and cell membrane stability (CMS) measured by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) test. Leaf water potential and osmotic potential were measured from August 1988 to August 1989. Solute concentration in leaf cell sap was also estimated.Cell membrane stability increased, leaf water potential and osmotic potential decreased and turgor potential increased with decreasing environmental temperatures during autumn and winter. The significant increases observed in CMS may enable plants to tolerate freezing temperatures during winter. Decrease in leaf water potential may be a result of water-deficit effects due to soil freezing at low temperatures and the decrease in osmotic potential may help plants to maintain turgor and tolerate freezing conditions. Plants maintained higher turgor as the osmotic potential decreased to values as low as – 3·98 MPa during winter; the maintenance of turgor helps to maintain water uptake under water deficit conditions at low temperatures.Sugar and K were the major osmotic contributors in orchardgrass leaves. Sugar and Ca concentrations increased and Mg and P concentrations decreased at cold temperatures. K concentration increased in six cultivars and decreased in nine others at cold temperatures. Sugar concentration in cell sap was negatively correlated with osmotic potential. It was concluded that seasonal changes in CMS may be mainly associated with the osmotic potential of the leaf tissues.
Ratio of plant to soil concentrations of strontium-85 and its relation to properties of Greek soils
Authors: Papanicolaou E. P. , Apostolakis C. G. , Skarlou V. , Nobeli C. , Kritidis P. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYPlant:soil ratios (CRs) of 85Sr concentration were studied in wheat, lucerne, lettuce, radish, string bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and cucumber grown in pots in eight Greek soil types in a glasshouse pot experiment in 1989.The CRs of the crops and of the plant parts studied differed according to soil type. They ranged from 0·034–1·39 for wheat grains to 7·6–36·5 for cucumber stems and leaves. The CRs of the edible parts were much lower than those of the other plant material.The correlation between CRs and clay content was negative and, in most cases, significant (P = 0·05–0·01) or highly significant (P < 0·01). The negative correlation improved (higher absolute value of r, lower variability) if clay plus silt content or cation exchange capacity was used instead of clay content.The correlation between CRs and soil properties was greatest for soil pH (r = –0·89) and decreased in the order: pH > total clay plus silt ≃ cation exchange capacity > total clay.
A comparison of six cover crop types in terms of nitrogen uptake and effect on response to nitrogen by a subsequent spring barley crop
Authors: Richards I. R. , Wallace P. A. , Turner I. D. S. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA field experiment was conducted at nine sites in England (1991–94) to compare six sown species of cover crop and natural regeneration in terms of nitrogen uptake and effect on response to applied N by a subsequent spring barley crop. The success and extent of cover crop establishment varied among sites and was insignificant in two. This may be associated with the relatively late sowing of the cover crops, the earliest site being sown on 27 August and the latest on 19 October. Dry matter (DM) yield of the sown cover crop at time of incorporation was related to sowing date, earlier sowing giving the higher yields. Maximum total DM yield and N uptake by the above-ground portion of cover crops were 1280kgDM/ha and 38 kg N/ha respectively. The extent of N uptake by the cover crops appeared to be related to the success of establishment rather than to the level of soil nitrate-N at the time of their sowing. Effects of cover crop incorporation on the subsequent spring barley were small. There was no evidence for any positive effect of the cover crop on N supply to the barley. In one trial, incorporation of forage rye significantly reduced grain yield of the barley by 0·7–1·2 t/ha compared to other cover crop species.
Evaluation of six cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) across three yam-growing areas in southeastern Nigeria
Authors: Asadu C. L. A. , Akamigbo F. O. R. , Nweke F. I. , Ezumah H. C. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA split split-plot experiment was conducted in the 1986 and 1987 cropping seasons in three major yam-growing areas in southeastern Nigeria to assess the performance and yield stability of six cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir). Location, fertilizer and cultivar, as well as some of their interaction effects, significantly affected tuber yields.The best location for yam production, based on the overall performance of the cultivars, was the sub-humid Guinea savanna, followed by the humid forest-regrowth and then the transitional forestsavanna zone. Except for two cultivars, which performed best in their source locations, all other cultivars yielded best at a different location. Thus, at present, these cultivars are not grown in those areas to which they are best suited. This makes it desirable to test exogenous cultivars in new areas. In terms of yield stability, however, the two cultivars originating from the humid forest-regrowth area gave the most stable yields across the three diverse environments considered. Although they did not give the highest tuber yields at all the locations, their overall yields were above the mean yields forall the cultivars. The most suitable cultivars were recommended for each ecological zone, on the basis of the observed interaction effects.
Some long-term effects of slurry on grassland
Authors: Christie P. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryA field experiment is described in which three rates of pig and cow slurry were applied to a ryegrass sward over a period of 16 years. The experiment included control plots and plots receiving fertilizer supplying 200 kg N, 32 kg P and 160 kg K/ha per year.The slurry nutrient concentrations were similar to published values. Pig slurry was more variable than cow slurry and both varied significantly from year to year. Slurry was applied at 50, 100 or 200 m3/ha per year, with each rate divided into three equal applications.Even the highest slurry application rate did not depress herbage yield, which showed a typical response curve to the amount of soluble nitrogen applied. The ammoniumnitrogen content of slurry (61% on average) gave an adequate measure of its effect on herbage yield when it was applied three times per year in spring and summer.Recovery of phosphorus in the herbage averaged 30% from pig slurry, 40% from cow slurry and 66% from-fertilizer. Pig slurry supplied more phosphorus than did cow slurry, and herbage phosphorus content was significantly correlated with the amount applied. Much of the slurry phosphorus may have been organically bound and not available to plants in the short term.Recovery of potassium from pig slurry and fertilizer was nearly 90% and from cow slurry about 70%. Cow slurry supplied potassium in excess of crop requirements so that it accumulated in the soil under the largest dressing. Soil phosphorus reserves declined under the smallest dressing of cow slurry but were maintained at higher application rates. The pig slurry produced a marked accumulation of phosphorus under the largest dressing. The substantial accumulations of phosphorus and potassium from pig and cow slurry respectively gave marked penetration of the soil below 10 cm depth only at the highest application rate. The data suggest that at rates typical of farm practice significant losses of phosphorus and potassium from the rooting zone would be unlikely to occur.The main invading plant species were Agrostis stolonifera L. and Poa spp. Small slurry dressings produced a similar botanical composition to that of plots given fertilizer. Increasing slurry application rates decreased the proportion of L. perenne and increased that of A. stolonifera but only under the largest dressing did L. perenne fall to a small proportion of the sward and A. stolonifera become very dominant. L. perenne made maximum contribution to herbage dry-matter yield early in the season while the proportion of A. stolonifera increased as the season progressed.Under these conditions even extremely large slurry dressings did not depress herbage yield and may not necessarily have reduced herbage quality despite marked changes in sward botanical composition.
The nutrition of the bacon pig: VI. The minimum level of protein intake consistent with quick growth and satisfactory carcass quality (Part III)
Authors: Woodman H. E. , Evans R. E. 
Published: March 2009

It has been shown that a diet supplying, in addition to barley meal, weatings and 2% of lucerne meal, 5% of fish meal up to 90 lb. live weight, 2% from 90 to 150 lb. and no protein-rich food from 150 lb. to slaughter at about 200 lb. live weight, will give almost as good results, from the standpoints of mean daily live-weight increase and efficiency of food conversion over the whole period as one that provides 10% of fish meal from weaning to 150 lb. and 5% of a protein-rich food such as ex. soya bean meal from 150 to 200 lb. live weight. The small differences noted in the present trial were not statistically significant. It is true that the reduction of the fish meal supply to 5% or less retards to a significant extent the rate of growth up to 90 lb. live weight, but this initial setback, according to the results of this and the writers' previous investigations, tends to be wiped out during the later stages of feeding.Further, a diet supplying, in addition to cereal, weatings and a small proportion of lucerne meal, as little as 2% of fish meal up to 90 lb. live weight and no protein-rich food at all thereafter has been shown to give results that are not seriously inferior, particularly when viewed against the background of wartime conditions, to those obtained on the standard diet. In this treatment, the protein required for growth beyond 90 lb. live weight was supplied by a diet of barley meal and weatings reinforced by 2% of lucerne meal.
A model for the prediction of dairy cow body weight based on a physiological timescale
Authors: Devir S. , Zur B. , Maltz E. , Genizi A. , Antler A. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA multivariate linear model was developed to evaluate dairy cow body weight (BW) during lactation on a commercial dairy farm. The model was calibrated separately for first, second and greater than second parities, and also for winter and summer calvers, fed a total mixed ration of 65% concentrates. Average weekly BW was predicted using the following variables on a weekly basis: 4% fat-corrected milk (FCM) yield, time of conception (PREG), time from calving (w), initial body weight (1BW) measured within 2 days after calving, and weeks remaining until the end of the calving season (SWR). The ability of the model to predict mean BW along lactations was tested in the same herd following calibration and during the same period. The prediction capacity of the model for average BW of groups of cows was examined on two timescales: (i) time from calving (physiological timescale) and (ii) any time during the year (calendar timescale). Results indicated that predicted mean BW deviated from measured values either by 1–2% with a maximal deviation of c. 5% on the physiological timescale or by up to 2% on the calendar timescale.