The influence of weather on the quality of tropical legume pasture during the dry season in Northern Australia. I. Trends in sward structure and moulding of standing hay at three locations

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL McCown ◽  
BH Wall ◽  
PG Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Environmental Control ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Actual Contribution ◽  
Tropical Climates

In seasonally dry tropical climates, animal production is severely constrained during the dry season by the low nutritive value of dry grass forage. Introduction of a legume such as Caribbean stylo can provide a valuable alternative forage during this period, mainly in the form of leaf litter and accompanying seed. The actual contribution of dry legume is closely dependent on its moisture regimen, which determines the degree of mould growth, an important palatability factor. This paper reports a 2-year study conducted at Katherine, Darwin and Townsville of the environmental control of both the timing and rate of leaf shed and of the subsequent moulding of leaf litter. At Katherine and Darwin, leaf was shed early and rapidly; at Townsville, much lower evaporation rates and small rainfalls delayed and prolonged leaf shed by several weeks. The data provide a model for predicting leaf shed by using standard weather data to aid the assessment of the risk of forage damage by precipitation.

The influence of weather on the quality of tropical legume pasture during the dry season in Northern Australia. II. Moulding of standing hay in relation to rain and dew

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 589 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL McCown ◽  
BH Wall
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Bulk Sample ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Mould Growth ◽  
Tropical Legume ◽  
Dry Tropics

Naturally desiccated legume pasture is valuable forage in the dry season but is very vulnerable to moulding, which drastically reduces its acceptability to cattle. At a network of sites in the wet-dry tropics of Australia, trends in mouldiness of standard leaf 'litter' samples were monitored in relation to rain, dew, and rates of drying. Although heavy dews occurred frequently at some sites, only the immediate top layer of fallen leaf moulded. This had a very small effect on the mouldiness of the bulk sample. Appreciable moulding occurred only after at least 2 mm rain, but in some cases there was no mould growth after over 10 mm rain; the amount of rain accounted for only 23 % of the variation in mouldiness. The duration of wetness of the leaf litter, as indicated by the duration of 95 % relative humidity 10 cm above the ground after rain, accounted for 91 % of the variation in mouldiness. At the more humid sites, material which was exposed for several weeks before rain moulded more rapidly after rain than did recently exposed material, even though at the time of rain there were no visible differences. Differences in causation of moulding of conventional hay and of 'standing hay' are discussed.

The influence of weather on the quality of tropical legume pasture during the dry season in northern Australia. III. Effects of digestibility and chemical composition

1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 573 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL McCown ◽  
BH Wall
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Pasture Legumes ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Dry Tropics

In the semi-arid tropics, accumulated shed leaf of certain pasture legumes can provide highly nutritious feed for cattle in the dry season. Previous papers in this series have dealt with the fungal spoilage of leaf of Caribbean stylo in response to dew and unseasonal rainfall and the threat to acceptability by cattle. This paper focuses on the effects of varying degrees of moulding and leaching on dry matter digestibility of leaf of this legume. Uniform leaf material of high digestibility was exposed at six locations during the dry season and samples retrieved at 4-weekly intervals. From initial values of 75%. in vitro digestibility dropped to as low as 50%. Degree of moulding, as indicated by a quantitative index of discoloration, accounted for about 80�/o of loss. Moulding was much more important than leaching. This latter finding in the winter-dry tropics contrasts with previous findings in the summer-dry Mediterranean climate.

Ground Surface Features Attributable to Feral Buffalo, Bubalus bubalis I. Their Distribution relative to Vegetation Structure and Plant Lifeform

1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Taylor ◽  
GR Friend
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Bubalus Bubalis ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Surface Features ◽  
Dense Vegetation ◽  
Lower Elevation

Relationships among ground surface features attributable to feral buffalo (viz. wallows, trails, pug marks and dung pats), vegetation structure, and lifeform spectrum were examined in both dry and wet seasons in a tropical monsoonal area of northern Australia. In the dry season, the frequency of pug marks was negatively correlated with the number of trails and dung pats, and positively correlated with the number of wallows. In the wet season only dung pats and wallows were significantly correlated. In the dry season, wallows were not associated with any vegetation structure or lifeform attribute, but in the wet season they were associated with dense foliage <1 m high. Trails occurred in areas of low dense vegetation (<0.5 m) in the dry season, but in the wet were uncommon and positively associated with lianas. Pug marks occurred mainly in the lower-elevation, treeless areas dominated by forbs. Whereas the nature and strength of the relationships of pug marks to plant lifeform or vegetation structure remained constant from season to season, those involving dung pats changed seasonally. In the dry season, dung pats were associated with the higher-elevation areas where trees, lianas, dense mid-level foliage (1.5-2.5 m) and leaf-litter were common. In the wet, they were associated with low vegetation (<1 m) dominated by forbs, and were negatively correlated with the factors important in the dry.

The influence of weather on the quality of tropical legume pasture during the dry season in northern Australia. IV. Geographic variation in risk of spoilage of standing hay

1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 579 ◽  
Author(s):  
BH Wall ◽  
RL McCown
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Considerable Time ◽  
Nutritional Strategy ◽  
Leaf Shedding ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Rate Of Evaporation

This paper assesses the geographic variation in northern Australia of the risk of deterioration to the point of 'spoilage', including both the beneficial and the deleterious effects of rain. The procedure is a modified water balance in which leaf shedding is driven by decline in soil water storage, and moulding is governed by the rate of evaporation following a rainfall of 2 mm or more.For 28 stations, from the West Kimberley to Central Queensland, an average of 40 dry seasons have been analysed for the periods when the legume would have been green, dry but unspoilt, and spoilt. A 'dry leaf' nutritional strategy is feasible where the dry seasons are reliably rainless. Even in regions with a high risk of rain, if green leaf is maintained for a considerable time in the dry season there is also a low risk of spoilage, and the use of non-deciduous legume species in these regions and elsewhere is discussed.

scholarly journals Herbage yield and quality of Megathyrsus cultivars in Northeast Thailand

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-194
Author(s):  
Michael D. Hare
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northeast Thailand ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Herbage Yield ◽  
Dry Seasons

A field trial in Northeast Thailand during 2015‒2018 evaluated the forage accumulation and nutritive value of 5 Megathyrsus cultivars, Mombasa, Tanzania, Massai, Zuri and Mun River. Mombasa and Tanzania are commonly grown in Thailand, but Massai, Zuri and Mun River had not been evaluated in Thailand before. Overall accumulated DM yields for the various cultivars over the 3 years were 24,550 kg/ha for Tanzania, 30,900 kg/ha for Massai, 32,700 kg/ha for Mombasa, 35,600 kg/ha for Mun River and 35,700 kg/ha for Zuri. Over 3 wet seasons, Mun River and Zuri accumulated 49% more total DM and Mombasa 35% more total DM than Tanzania. Massai accumulated lower total DM yields than Zuri and Mun River in the second and third wet seasons, similar yields to Mombasa, and higher yields than Tanzania in those 2 seasons. Crude protein concentrations in forage were higher in the dry season than in the wet season and in leaves than in stems. There were no consistent differences in CP% of the various cultivars in wet or dry seasons. ADF and NDF concentrations in the dry season were lower than those in the wet season and leaf ADF and NDF concentrations were lower than concentrations in stems. There were no consistent differences of ADF and NDF concentrations between cultivars throughout the study. This trial showed that both Zuri and Mun River would be ideal replacements for Mombasa and Tanzania in Northeast Thailand, as they would appeal to smallholder farmers for cut-and-carry forage with their upright, broad leaves, and at least similar DM production to Mombasa and superior DM production to Tanzania.

scholarly journals Moisture Desorption Studies on Polymer Hydrated and Vacuum Extruded Bentonite Clay Mat

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Wooi Kee Loh ◽  
Devapriya Chitral Wijeyesekera ◽  
Mihaela Anca Ciupala
Keyword(s):  
Bentonite Clay ◽  
Moisture Diffusion ◽  
Critical Study ◽  
Thin Layer Drying ◽  
Drying Models ◽  
Tropical Climates ◽  
And Control ◽  
Moisture Desorption ◽  
Quality Of Fit

Moisture desorption observations from two bentonite clay mats subjected to ten environmental zones with individually different combinations of laboratory-controlled constant temperatures (between 20 °C and 40 °C) and relative humidity (between 15% and 70%) are presented. These laboratory observations are compared with predictions from mathematical models, such as thin-layer drying equations and kinetic drying models proposed by Page, Wang and Singh, and Henderson and Pabis. The quality of fit of these models is assessed using standard error (SE) of estimate, relative percent of error, and coefficient of correlation. The Page model was found to better predict the drying kinetics of the bentonite clay mats for the simulated tropical climates. Critical study on the drying constant and moisture diffusion coefficient helps to assess the efficacy of a polymer to retain moisture and control desorption through water molecule bonding. This is further substantiated with the Guggenheim–Anderson–De Boer (GAB) desorption isotherm model which is presented.

The composition and nutritive value of hay grown in the east of Scotland and the influence of late applications of nitrogenous fertilizers

1954 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. E. Moon
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Protein Content ◽  
Sodium Nitrate ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Fertilizer Treatment ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Ryegrass Hay ◽  
Digestible Protein ◽  
Maintenance Requirements

1. Examination of the composition of hay grown in the east of Scotland during the 4-year period 1948–51 has confirmed earlier work indicating the low protein content of this material. In addition, the digestibility of the protein was found to be low, particularly in the case of the seeds-hays, most of which contained insufficient digestible protein to balance the starch equivalent in meeting the maintenance requirements of cattle.2. In nutritive value the seeds -hays were markedly inferior to samples from England and Wales examined by other workers, but very similar to mature ryegrass hay grown in Northern Ireland. The meadow hays examined were of similar starch equivalent but somewhat richer in protein, and this was associated with a higher digestibility of the protein; in consequence the ratio between digestible protein and starch equivalent was more nearly balanced for the maintenance feeding of cattle.3. Applications of sodium nitrate or ‘Nitrochalk’ about 10–20 days before mowing produced very variable responses in the unusually dry season of 1949, but in other years significant increases in protein content were almost invariably obtained. Low protein seeds-hays of the type commonly found in the Lothians were more responsive to this fertilizer treatment than timothy meadow hay, and while increases in protein content of 20–30% were commonly obtained, when relatively heavy dressings of fertilizer (3 cwt. or more per acre) were used, increases in the region of 50% were sometimes recorded. In most years treatment about 10 days before mowing was fully effective in improving the protein content of the hay. Earlier treatment may be preferable in a very dry season, but in more normal years this may increase the yield of the hay and so diminish the effect on protein percentage.

Venturia pirina. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sivanesan
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Primary Infection ◽  
Secondary Infection ◽  
Apple Scab ◽  
Black Spot ◽  
Eriobotrya Japonica ◽  
Venturia Pirina ◽  
Young Growth

Abstract A description is provided for Venturia pirina. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Principally on pear (Pyrus communis) and other Pyrus spp., also recorded from Eriobotrya japonica (loquat) (Herb. IMI). DISEASE: Causes scab or black spot of pear, which results in loss of quantity and quality of fruit. The disease attacks shoots, buds, leaves and fruit, symptoms and aetiology being very similar to those of apple scab caused by V. inaequalis on Malus spp. (CMI Descript. 401). Dark, more or less circular scabs are produced on leaves and fruit, often with some growth distortion. Infection of young wood is more common than with apple scab and causes pale brown blister-like lesions which burst to release conidia in the following year. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide in temperate and subtropical regions wherever pears are grown (see CMI Map 367, ed. 2, 1968). TRANSMISSION: Epidemiology is similar to that of apple scab. The overwintering saprophytic perithecial stage on leaf litter releases airborne ascospores in spring which infect young growth, and secondary infection by conidia dispersed during wet summer weather also occurs. Overwintering lesions on young wood are more frequent than with apple scab and conidia produced by these in the spring can be an important source of primary infection (46, 2061; 47, 849).

Advances in the data rescue and digitization of historical wind speed observations in Sweden: the WINDGUST project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Engström ◽  
Cesar Azorin-Molina ◽  
Lennart Wern ◽  
Sverker Hellström ◽  
Christophe Sturm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The 1960S

&lt;p&gt;Here we present the progress of the first work package (WP1) of the project &amp;#8220;Assessing centennial wind speed variability from a historical weather data rescue project in Sweden&amp;#8221; (WINDGUST), funded by FORMAS &amp;#8211; A Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (ref. 2019-00509); previously introduced in EGU2019-17792-1 and EGU2020-3491. In a global climate change, one of the major uncertainties on the causes driving the climate variability of winds (i.e., the &amp;#8220;stilling&amp;#8221; phenomenon and the recent &amp;#8220;recovery&amp;#8221; since the 2010s) is mainly due to short availability (i.e., since the 1960s) and low quality of observed wind records as stated by the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The WINDGUST is a joint initiative between the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) and the University of Gothenburg aimed at filling the key gap of short availability and low quality of wind datasets, and improve the limited knowledge on the causes driving wind speed variability in a changing climate across Sweden.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;During 2020, we worked in WP1 to rescue historical wind speed series available in the old weather archives at SMHI for the 1920s-1930s. In the process we followed the &amp;#8220;Guidelines on Best Practices for Climate Data Rescue&amp;#8221; of the World Meteorological Organization. Our protocol consisted on: (i) designing a template for digitization; (ii) digitizing papers by an imaging process based on scanning and photographs; and (iii) typing numbers of wind speed data into the template. We will report the advances and current status, challenges and experiences learned during the development of WP1. Until new year 2020/2021 eight out of thirteen selected stations spanning over the years 1925 to 1948 have been scanned and digitized by three staff members of SMHI during 1,660 manhours.&lt;/p&gt;

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