bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The assessment of the quality of sugar-beet seed
Authors: Durrant M. J. , Brown S. J. , Bould A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe accurate prediction of the performance of individual lots of sugar-beet seed in the field is critical when constituting blends of seed for commercial use. Previous studies indicated a need for ‘vigour tests’ to supplement the standard germination test. In many of the studies emphasis was placed on evaluation of tests in the laboratory, whereas in this study equal emphasis was placed on the determination of the values to be predicted. The performance of 20 seed lots with a range of germination between 75 and 95% was assessed in field and laboratory studies in 1981. Further investigations of ten seed lots were made in 1982 and in 1983.The results in 1981 showed little evidence of agronomically important differences in the relative performance of seed lots with respect to establishment in the field at different sites. Similarly, most seed lots showed consistent differences over a range of tests under controlled conditions. However, use of the experiment mean as a measure of stress revealed marked differences in the range of performance between the best and poorest lota in both the field and laboratory. There were clear indications that performance in the field could be modified by non-random factors that tended to reduce the magnitude of differences among seed lots. In 1982 grazing of seedlings by birds was identified as a factor that could cause greater reduction in the establishment of seed lots with high viability relative to those with low viability. Thus, under some circumstances, a single count of seedlings in non-protected field experiments can give misleading estimates of the differences among seed lots (and probably among other treatments which affect the rate of emergence). Correlation coefficients (γ) were about 0·88 for relationships between establishment from pelleted seed in plots protected from birds and germination or emergence under controlled conditions. These results reduced the need for additional vigour tests. However, the studies emphasized that small differences in germination percentage are important as they can be associated with much larger differences in establishment, particularly under adverse seed-bed conditions. The average standard error for the mean viability of individual seed lots was ±1·89 in germination tests with four replicates of 100 seeds at each of six centres. Although inincreased accuracy may not be possible without much greater replication, we found that the distinction between normal and abnormal seedlings was an important source of experimental error. A less subjective measurement, based on hypocotyl height, warrants further study.
The role of a soil × dietary sulphur interaction in the impairment of copper absorption by ingested soil in sheep
Authors: Suttle N. F. , Abrahams P. , Thornton I. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryFour repletion experiments were carried out to clarify the roles of molybdenum, sulphur and iron in the inhibition of copper absorption by ingested soils. In each experiment, groups of four to six hypocupraemic Scottish Blackface ewes were repleted for 21 days with diets containing CuSO4 and/or soil Cu and the responses in plasma Cu used to assess the availability of the Cu supplied.In Expts 1 and 2, three soils varying in Mo but high in Fe content and derived from Lower Lias Clay, Namurian Shale and Weald loam were added at 100 g/kg D.M. to diets of low (1·0) and high (4·1 g/kg D.M.) S contents: they provided 3·1, 2·8 and 0·1 mg Mo/kg D.M. respectively. When compared with groups given no soil, each soil increased plasma Cu repletion in the low S experiment and decreased it in the high S experiment. Inhibition was thus not completely dependent on soil Mo but dependent upon dietary S.Soils varying in Fe content were compared in the manner of the above experiments in Expts 3 and 4. Two Fe-rich soils, developed from the Upper Chalk and a Barton Clay and providing 2·8 and 1·5 g Fe/kg D.M., impaired Cu repletion on the high S diet but not on the low S diet. A soil, developed on a sand from the Bagshot Beds and providing only 0·15 g Fe/kg D.M., did not impair repletion but FeSO4, providing 0·8 g Fe/kg D.M. did so, irrespective of dietary S content. Ingestion of Fe-rich soils in a high S diet caused three-fold increases in rumen sulphide concentrations 5 and 24 h after feeding. It is suggested that soil ingestion impairs Cu absorption in sheep by trapping S as heavy metal sulphides such as FeS and releasing sulphide in the acid abomasum.
The growth and nutrient content of polybag oil-palm seedlings as affected by mulch materials and time of their application
Authors: Iremiren G. O. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryMulching polybag oil-palm seedlings with bunch refuse, shredded polythene, sawdust, grass, wood shavings and kernel shells ‘all-year’ or throughout the nursery period (May–May), in the ‘wet-season only’ (May-November), and in the ‘dry-season only’ (November–May) resulted in soil temperature differences which did not exceed 1 °C at 5 cm polybag depth. This was attributed to the high rainfall which reduced considerably the soil temperature differences between mulched and unmulched soil in the wet season and to the enhanced leaf canopy in ‘all-year’ and ‘wet season only’ mulchings which shaded soil in polybags in the dry season.The mulch materials and times of their application significantly influenced growth variables like number of leaves, plant height and stem girth, and number of blast-affected seedlings at 6 months after sowing (wet season). By 12 months after sowing, all growth characters measured were similar in the various treatments, indicating compensatory growth at the latter half of the growing period (dry season).N, P, K, Mg and Ca contents of seedlings were not significantly affected by either mulch materials or times of their application. The results emphasize that mulching for at least 6 months during the early or late nursery period and the use of various mulches may be beneficial to oil-palm seedling growth.
The use of biplots in interpreting variety by environment interactions
Authors: Kempton R. A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryGabriel (1971) proposed a technique for displaying the rows and columns of a twoway table as a two-dimensional biplot so that any element of the table can be approximated by the inner product of vectors corresponding to the appropriate row and column. The technique is useful for investigating the pattern of response of varieties over different environments, and substantially increases the information available from the more familiar methods of regression and principal component analysis without need for additional computation.
Supplementary feeding of dairy cows on continuously stocked pasture
Authors: Jennings P. G. , Holmes W. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryTwo experiments were conducted with milking cows on continuously stocked perennial ryegrass pastures. In each a control group, T0, received 1 kg/day of a concentrate supplement and treatment groups T1 and T2 received 4 kg (Expt 1) or 5 kg/day (Expt 2) of a low quality T1 or a high quality T2 concentrate. In Expt 1 treatments were applied continuously for 14 weeks to a total of 30 cows. In Expt 2 a Latin square design for 9 weeks was conducted with 18 cows. The stocking rate of the pasture declined from 9·6 to 5·1 cows per ha (mean 6·7 cows/ha) from May to August (Expt 1) and was maintained at 3 cows/ha in August-October (Expt 2).Supplements increased total intakes by 0·92 and 0·77 kg organic matter (OM)/kg OM supplied in the concentrates respectively for Expts 1 and 2. Milk yields increased by 0·6 and 0·5 kg/kg concentrate supplied and supplemented cows showed small increases in live weight. Differences in lactation milk yield just approached significance. Grazing times were only slightly reduced by supplements and bite sizes were lower than normal. There was no important difference in animal performance between the two concentrates. The total output from the pasture was 19·6t milk and 115 GJ of utilized metabolizable energy per hectare.Reasons for the high supplementary effect of the concentrates and its implications for stocking rates are discussed.
Comparisons between the establishment, growth and yield of winter wheat on three clay soils, in experiments testing nitrogen fertilizer in combination with aphicide and fungicides, from 1980 to 1982
Authors: Darby R. J. , Widdowson F. V. , Hewitt M. V. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryFrom 1980 to 1982 fungicide and aphioide sprays were tested in factorial combination with four amounts of nitrogen fertilizer, applied in one or two dressings to winter wheat, on three contrasting clay soils. These experiments were at Hexton (Burwell series) in Hertfordshire, at Billington (Evesham series) and at Maulden (Hanslope series) in Bedfordshire, following a 2–year break, an all-cereal rotation, and continuous wheat respectively. The nitrogen dressings were calculated after taking into account mineral N in the soil. In 1981 and 1982 soil density was measured by penetrometer. This showed compaction in soil at Maulden 28 cm deep which caused waterlogging in spring; this delayed growth which was not made good later.At Hexton a small seed rate was used; plant losses during winter were proportionally larger than elsewhere. At Billington, the maximum number of stems occurred in March and elsewhere in April. Despite these differences in seed rate and number of plants, number of ears varied little, and each year the wheat at Hexton accumulated dry matter most rapidly. The growth rate there ranged from 20·0 to 21·8 g/m2/day during the linear growth phase as compared with 14·4 to 16·6 g/m2/day at the other two sites. Giving N in two dressings rather than in one increased dry-matter yield at all sites in May, but later this benefit remained static and so became a smaller proportion of the total. Fungicides increased post-anthesis dry-matter yield by 0·75 t/ha, most of which was incorporated in the grain.Mean grain yields from 1980 to 1982 where nitrogen fertilizer was given were 9·86 t/ha at Hexton, 7·88 t/ha at Billington and 6–91 t/ha at Maulden. Additional nitrogen fertilizer always increased grain yield when fungicides and aphicides were given, but not where they were not. Grain yields in excess of 10 t/ha were achieved with numbers of ears ranging between 360 and 435/m2. The components of yield showed that grain yield was related to the number of grains per ear and 1000·grain weight, but not number of ears. Grain weight was increased by 3·1 mg by the fungicides.The fungicides controlled the diseases eyespot (Pseudocercosporella herpolrichoides), Septoria spp. and yellow and brown rust (Pucdnia striiformis and P. recondita) where they occurred, but even where these diseases were absent or at very low levels the fungicides significantly increased grain yield. At Billington and Maulden take-all (Qaeumannomyces graminis) infected between 44 and 90% of the plants and sharp eyespot (Rhizoctonia cerealis) infected from < 1 to 20% of the stems because the wheat followed cereals. Yields of straw behind the combine-harvester were from 50 to 70% of those obtained from sheaves cut at ground level.
Physiology of bunch groundnuts (Arachis hypogaeaL.)
Authors: Choudhari S. D. , Udaykumar M. , Sastry K. S. K. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryTwenty-nine bunch groundnut genotypes were grown in theKharifseason 1980 and the summer season 1981 at Bangalore. Growth and yield analysis showed that the total dry-matter accumulation was low up to 30 days after sowing and increased linearly up to the 86th day in theKharifand up to harvest in the summer season. There were significant differences between genotypes in leaf area indices (LAI), the leaf area duration (LAD) and LAD between pod initiation and harvest (LADP) in both the seasons. The mean LAI of genotypes did not vary much between theKharifand the summer seasons up to the 66th day. However, during the later stages of growth the LAD was higher in the summer. The higher biological yield and productivity in the summer was attributed to the high LAD and LADP during the later stages of crop growth. LAD and total dry-matter accumulation at harvest were significantly correlated both in theKharif(r = 0–75) and the summer(r= 0–81). The mean total number of flowers over all 29 genotypes did not vary, but total number of pegs formed per plant differed significantly between genotypes in both theKharifand summer seasons. The percentage of flowers which produced pegs was 72–2 in summer as against 51–2 inKharif.The primary branches contributed 86'7 and 90–1%to the total number of pods per plant in theKharifand summer seasons respectively. The contribution of the first four nodes of primary branches was 85%in both seasons. The number of fruiting points (nodes having mature pods) per plant, found to be the most important yield-determining component, showed significant variation amongst the genotypes in both theKharifand summer seasons. In summer, length of mature-pod-bearing zone (MPBZ), number of nodes in MPBZ and number of kernels per plant were higher than in theKharifseason. It is suggested that selection and breeding should concentrate on improving LAD and LADP, total dry matter per plant, more primary branches per plant, more pods in the distal nodes of primary branches and more fruiting points (nodes in MPBZ) per plant.
Game domestication for animal production in Kenya: the nutritional ecology of oryx, zebu cattle and sheep under free-range conditions
Authors: Stanley Price M. R. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryObservations on oryx, sheep and cattle under natural grazing conditions in both a wet and a dry season are given and discussed.Dry faecal outputs by the sheep and oryx were less in the wet than in the dry season. Output by the cattle was greater than both, and showed little seasonal difference. Faecal nitrogen concentrations showed no interspecific overlap, in the rank order sheep > oryx > cattle. All were greater in the wet season, and the rank order maintained.Drinking water intakes were similar for oryx and sheep in both seasons. The cattle's water intake was greater in the wet season. Expressed as ml/kg W0·85/day, there were no overlaps in species' mean intakes, in the order cattle > sheep > oryx, in the ratio 100:57:24. In the dry season, the herd walked 16 km on non-drinking days, and a further 7 km on alternate days when receiving water. Under wetter conditions with more forage available, the herd walked only 11 km daily.Slight interspecific differences in the times spent walking, feeding, standing and lying were found over a 48 h period. In the wet season less time was spent walking and feeding, with corresponding increases in the other activities. The oryx were notable in that rumination occupied far less of their daytime activity than for the sheep or cattle although the total times spent ruminating were similar.The results are discussed in relation to differences in the species’ feeding habits and strategies of diet selection, combining the grazing results with observations from penned animals on a common diet. The intakes of water agree with the results from penned animals, confirming oryx's adaptation to hot, dry conditions. The advantages of a low water requirement, met by intermittent drinking, are discussed.The possible detrimental effects on productivity of a regime of day-grazing and night-penning under hot conditions are discussed. In the light of these, some advantages to oryx of scheduling its rumination to the night hours are suggested.
Studies on the nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD), for increasing the efficiency of nitrogen applied to rice
Authors: Singh S. , Prasad R. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryA field experiment, made during the rainy seasons oof 1982 and 1983 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, studied the effects of blending urea with dicyandiamide (DCD) on the yield and yield components of rice. DCD-blended urea was as effective as neem-cake-coated urea in respect of yield components as well as grain and straw yield of rice and when all the nitrogen was applied 10 days after transplanting both the materials produced significantly more grain and straw than prilled urea. Urea super granules (USG) were superior to DCD-blended, as well as neem-coated, urea.
Fat partitioning in British Friesian cows: the influence of physiological state on dissected body composition
Authors: Butler-Hogg B. W. , Wood J. D. , Bines J. A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe influence of physiological state (pregnant, lactating, dry) on body composition and fat partitioning in Friesian cows has been examined. A total of 20 cows, four per physiological state, were slaughtered and their left half carcasses dissected into individual muscles, bones and fat depots. All body parts, including the internal organs and fat depots, were weighed at slaughter.Muscle tissue and the internal organs showed some weight changes, consistent with a redistribution of tissue towards the udder and gut, and mobilization of muscle, but the major changes in weight associated with changing physiological state occurred in total body fat.Intermuscular fat made the greatest absolute contribution to changing fat weight, but subcutaneous fat showed the greatest proportional change with changing physiological state. The order of depletion of fat depots during fat loss was approximately the reverse of the order of development found during developmental growth.The distribution of subcutaneous fat between seven defined regions of the carcass was not affected by differences in total fatness in different physiological states. This, and the high correlation found between fat depth and total body fatness, confirms the view that measures of subcutaneous fat depth, e.g. by ultrasonics, should be useful predictors of the energy status of cows in varying physiological states.
Influence of growing various crops in five different fixed rotations on the changes in nitrate and total nitrogen content of soils
Authors: Sharma K. N. , Bhandari A. L. , Kapur M. L. , Rana D. S. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe results on the influence of various crops in five different fixed rotations on the ohanges in nitrate and total N content of soils are reported. Groundnut contributed largely to the accumulation of nitrate nitrogen in the soil profile (to a depth of 120 cm). Bajra fodder exhausted the soil nitrogen reserve to a great extent. Wheat and maize, in a rotation, reduced nitrate leaching to deeper soil layers. Summer moong also left a large amount of unabsorbed nitrate in the profile. Total nitrogen content of the soil decreased after the harvest of cereals. Maximum depletion occurred after the harvest of bajra crop. Potato (a crop which received a heavy dressing of N fertilizer) and legumes contributed to the soil N reserve. A balance sheet of N indicated net gains of total soil N in four of the five cropping sequences. A net loss of 75 kg N/ha was observed in bajra fodder-potato-wheat rotation.
The partition of carotenoids and vitamin A in the colostrum and milk of the cow and the goat
Authors: Chanda R. 
Published: March 2009

The partition of carotenoids and vitamin A in the colostrum of nine cows and six goats and in the milk of three cows and two goats was determined using chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods. The following were the main results:1. The content of β-carotene and vitamin A in the colostrum decreased rapidly during the first nine milkings in both the cow and the goat. The rates of decline were logarithmic. Logarithmic regressions also showed that the decreases in β-carotene were more rapid than those of vitamin A.2. The heifers secreted more vitamin A in their colostral fat than did cows on the same ration. The vitamin A content of the colostral fat of goats was greater during the first lactation than in later lactations. There was no difference in the rates of decrease of the vitamin A content of heifer and cow colostrum, but the difference between the rates of decreases of colostral vitamin A of first and later lactation goats was significant.3. The colostral fat of cows at pasture contained more vitamin A than that of cows on winter rations. There was no difference between the logarithmic rates of decrease in the two groups during the first nine milkings. The colostral fat of four goats receiving winter rations was richer in vitamin A than that of three cows treated similarly, and this superiority of the goat over the cow persisted throughout lactation.4. There was no difference between the carotene content of the colostral fat of the first and later lactation cows. The yield of fat and β-carotene of the heifers was smaller than that of the cows. Cows at pasture secreted more β-carotene in their colostrum than the cows on winter rations. The presence of β-carotene was demonstrated in goat colostrum, although mature goat milk was free from any measurable quantity of carotenoids.
The analysis of the results of a rotation experiment on the use of straw and fertilizers
Authors: Patterson H. D. 
Published: March 2009

An experiment, designed to test different ways of using straw with fertilizers, and involving a three course rotation of crops, was carried out at Rothamsted between 1933 and 1951. The methods of analysis developed for this experiment are described in the present paper and demonstrated using yields of potatoes.Treatment effects of interest are given by the mean yields over all years and the linear regressions of yield on time. These estimates are straightforward but the evaluation of their errors is complicated by the existence of correlations due to the recurrence of treatments on the same plots. Further complications are introduced when, as frequently happens in long-term experiments, treatment effects show real variation from year to year. A method is given for estimating standard errors which include a contribution from this variation.The various relationships between yields and the uncontrolled seasonal factors can also be examined; in the present experiment there is some indication that the effects of treatments on yields of potatoes are influenced by the dates of planting.In other circumstances the analysis requires modifications, some of which are briefly considered.
The effect of ground water-level on the performance and yield of some common crops
Authors: Nicholson H. H. , Firth D. H. 
Published: March 2009

1. Observations made on growing a series of crops in rotation over a range of static ground water-levels in a Fen peat soil are recorded.2. The crops used show differences in their reaction to ground water conditions, and the seasonal incidence of rain has an overriding influence on their performance.3. The effects of ground water-level may operate directly on the growth and development of a crop or may influence it indirectly through factors such as weed infestation, difficulties of cultivation, or the incidence of disease.
The effect of rate of wetting on water uptake and cohesion of soil crumbs
Authors: Emerson W. W. , Grundy G. M. F. 
Published: March 2009

Short columns of air-dry soil crumbs were wetted at different rates and, after draining to a standard suction, the amount of water taken up by each column determined. It was found that this in the other under continuous grass. The extrapolated value of the cohesion of the grassland crumbs at zero rate of wetting was twice that of the arable, indicating an additional cohesive force in the grassland crumbs. The cohesion of the arable soil fell much more rapidly with increased rate of wetting than that of the grassland, probably because the roots in the grassland crumbs provide easy escape passages for the air.The increase, with rate of wetting, of the amount of water held by a soil sample against a given suction is important, at least up to 200 cm. of water. This dependence of the pF curve on rate of wetting is of particular significance for laboratory studies of water movement in soils.