Effect of reproductive status, body condition and age of Bos indicus cross cows early in a drought on survival and subsequent reproductive performance

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Fordyce ◽  
R Tyler ◽  
VJ Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Probability Of Survival ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Conception Rates ◽  
In Pregnancy

A herd of 802 Brahman cross cows, managed under extensive conditions (7000 ha paddock with twice-yearly handling) in a dry tropical environment, was studied during the severe drought of 1982-83. Twenty-one per cent of the cows died. Cows more advanced in pregnancy and those in poorer condition in the early stages of the drought had lower (P<0.05) survival probabilities. Cows aged over 7 years also generally had a reduced (P<0.05) probability of survival. Calf loss between confirmed pregnancy early in the drought and weaning after the following wet season was 31%. Calf loss from surviving cows was not higher than is usual in non-drought years. All deaths of lactating cows were associated with calf deaths. The practical use of these results in cost-efficient management for survival of cows in drought was then evaluated in a second study in which 293 cows were drafted into high- and low-supplement-requirement (HSR and LSR) groups in the early stages of the 1987 drought. Survival feeding in the HSR group commenced about 6 weeks earlier than would have been necessary in the LSR group. In both studies, reproductive status in the early drought period was a significant determinant of both body condition and conception rates early in the following year. Cows more advanced in pregnancy early in the drought were in poorer condition after the following wet season (P<0.05), but remained further advanced in pregnancy (P<0.05). Both body condition in the early part of the drought and age had minimal effects on performance in the following wet season, although younger cows tended to be lighter and have the lowest conception rates. Cows in better condition after the wet season had higher (P<0.05) pregnancy rates.

Prepartum supplementation effects on growth and fertility in Bos indicus-cross cows

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Fordyce ◽  
L. A. Fitzpatrick ◽  
T. J. Mullins ◽  
N. J. Cooper ◽  
D. J. Reid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Pregnancy Rates ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Calf Growth ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Calving Season

Summary. Three experiments were conducted in the dry tropics of north Australia using Bos indicus-cross cows. Cows in mid–late pregnancy were either unsupplemented during the late dry season or offered ad libitum (2 kg/day) molasses with 7.4% urea (w/w) (M8U) or cottonseed meal (1 kg/day) for up to 54 days commencing 2 months before the start of the calving season. Supplementation reduced weight loss in experiments 1 and 2 (P<0.05), but had no significant effect on weight or body condition in experiment 3. Supplementation had no effect on subsequent calf growth or cow lactation yields. Following early wet season rains in experiment 1, 9 and 49% of cows were ovulating 40 and 80 days post-partum, respectively, with no effect of supplementation. In experiment 2, 10 and 100% of cows had ovulated by 60 and 200 days post-partum, respectively. At any time between 80 and 180 days post-partum, supplemented cows were more likely to be cycling (P<0.05), independent of supplementation effects on weight or body condition. The average post-partum interval to oestrus was 30 days less in cows supplemented for 42 days (P = 0.08). In experiment 3, pregnancy rates in 1/2 and 3/4 Brahmans supplemented with M8U for 54 days (MU54) or whose calves were weaned at 2–3 months of age (WEAN) were 14% higher in the latter 2 months of mating than in cows supplemented for less than 40 days. Good seasonal conditions resulted in high pregnancy rates in all mature 5/8 Brahmans; when not weaned early, their average calving to conception interval (CCI) was 54 days (s.e. = 8.5 days). Pregnancy rates of first-lactation 5/8 Brahmans (average CCI of 125 days) supplemented for 39 days or less and weaned when calves averaged 6 months of age were 14–32% lower between 2 and 9 months post-partum than in contemporaries in the MU54 or WEAN treatment groups. It was concluded that dry-season supplementation of mid- to late-pregnant Bos indicus-cross cows with an energy concentrate for 42–54 days (‘spike’ feeding) may reduce post-partum anoestrus intervals via a mechanism which is not dependent on the effects on weight or body condition.

Body condition and reproductive status in sticklebacks exposed to a single wave of Schistocephalus solidus infection

1996 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Tierney ◽  
F. A. Huntingford ◽  
D. W. T. Crompton
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Single Wave ◽  
Schistocephalus Solidus

Soil ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a coffee agroforestry landscape during a severe-drought period

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 1781-1792
Author(s):  
Anderson Arenas-Clavijo ◽  
Inge Armbrecht
Keyword(s):  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Coffee Agroforestry

Effects of drought conditions on VOC soil fluxes within the rainforest mesocosm of Biosphere 2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Pugliese ◽  
Johannes Ingrisch ◽  
Thomas Klüpfel ◽  
Kathiravan Meeran ◽  
Gemma Purser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Soil Microbial Activity ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Molecular Formula ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Biosphere 2 ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Mild Drought

&lt;p&gt;Volatile organic compounds (VOC) play an important role in determining atmospheric processes that control air quality and climate. Although atmospheric VOC concentrations are mostly affected by plants, soils are significant contributors as they are simultaneously a source, a sink and a storage of atmospheric VOCs. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of a prolonged drought condition on VOC soil fluxes in the tropical rainforest mesocosm of Biosphere 2 (B2; Tucson, Arizona, USA). The absence of atmospheric chemistry due to UV light filtering by the glass and the possibility to control and manipulate the conditions of the ecosystem make the B2 an ideal set-up to study the rainforest VOC dynamics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The experiments were conducted over the 4 months B2WALD campaign during which the rainforest was subjected to a controlled drought period of about 10 weeks followed by a rewetting period. Soil VOCs fluxes were measured continuously by means of a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) that was connected to 12 automated soil chambers (LI 8100-104 Long-Term Chambers, Licor Inc.) placed in 4 different locations within the B2 rainforest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The B2 rainforest soil acted as a strong sink for all isoprenoid species. The isoprene sink steadily weakened during drought period, but increased sharply back to the pre-drought levels after the rain rewet. In contrast, the monoterpene soil sink became slightly stronger during the mild drought period (up to 5 weeks after the last rainfall) but weakened during the severe drought period (up to 10 weeks after rainfall). A huge increase in monoterpene uptake was observed after the rain rewet. The oxidation products of isoprene (methacrolein, methyl vinyl ketone and isoprene peroxides) showed a similar trend to the monoterpenes, even in absence of atmospheric chemistry. The species with molecular formula C5H8O was taken up by the soil during predrought, which was reduced during mild drought period but increased again during the severe drought period.Sulfur-containing compounds including DMS and methanethiol all showed a significant emission peak immediately after the rain rewet.Oxygenated VOCs such as methanol and acetone were taken up by the soil in wet conditions. The uptake of both compounds strongly decreased with the drought and in severe drought conditions they were even emitted by the soil.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In summary, soil VOC fluxes changed markedly with the onset and development drought stages (pre, mild and severe drought) of the B2 rainforest, mirroring atmospheric VOC concentrations and soil microbial activity changes related to overall ecosystem response to drought and recovery.&lt;/p&gt;

The effect of long-term administration of bovine somatotrophin on the performance of dairy heifers during their first lactation

1988 ◽  
Vol 1988 ◽  
pp. 2-2 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.F. Butterwick ◽  
P. Rowlinson ◽  
T.E.C. Weekes ◽  
D.S. Parker ◽  
D.G. Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Buffer Solution ◽  
Dairy Heifers ◽  
Term Administration

The objectives of the trial were to Investigate the effects of long-term administration of bovine somatotropin (BST) from week 2 and 10 post-partumn on the yields of milk, milk components, body weight, body condition, health and reproductive status during the first lactation of dairy heifers.19 Friesian dairy cows in their first lactation were allocated at calving to one of 3 treatments: Daily subcutaneous Injection of recomblnantly derived bovine somatotropin (25 mg/d) from either week 2 (BST2;n=6) or week 10 (BST10;n=6) of lactation, or injection of buffer solution from week 2 of lactation (C;n=7). Treatments continued until week 42 of lactation, or until 60 days prior to predicted calving date, if this occurred before week 42 of lactation. Initially cows were housed in cubicles and fed ad libitum individually through calan doors, on a diet of concentrate and grass silage (Table 1) on a 60:40 dry matter ratio. In approximately mid-lactation cows were turned out to grass but continued to receive concentrates according to milk yield and body condition. Milk yield was recorded daily and milk composition twice weekly as were live weight and body condition. Health and reproductive status were monitored over the lactation.

scholarly journals Assessing the Response of Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency to Drought During and after Drought Events across Central Asia

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zou ◽  
Jianli Ding ◽  
Martin Welp ◽  
Shuai Huang ◽  
Bohua Liu
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Legacy Effect ◽  
Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
The Mean

The frequency and intensity of drought are expected to increase worldwide in the future. However, it is still unclear how ecosystems respond to drought. Ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) is an essential ecological index used to measure the global carbon–water cycles, and is defined as the carbon absorbed per unit of water lost by the ecosystem. In this study, we applied gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), land surface temperature (LST), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data to calculate the WUE and drought index (temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI)), all of which were retrieved from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. We compared the mean WUE across different vegetation types, drought classifications, and countries. The temporal and spatial changes in WUE and drought were analyzed. The correlation between drought and WUE was calculated and compared across different vegetation types, and the differences in WUE between drought and post-drought periods were compared. The results showed that (1) ecosystems with a low (high) productivity had a high (low) WUE, and the mean ecosystem WUE of Central Asia showed vast differences across various drought levels, countries, and vegetation types. (2) The WUE in Central Asia exhibited an increasing trend from 2000 to 2014, and Central Asia experienced both drought (from 2000 to 2010) and post-drought (from 2011 to 2014) periods. (3) The WUE showed a negative correlation with drought during the drought period, and an obvious drought legacy effect was found, in which severe drought affected the ecosystem WUE over the following two years, while a positive correlation between WUE and drought was found in the post-drought period. (4) A significant increase in ecosystem WUE was found after drought, which revealed that arid ecosystems exhibit high resilience to drought stress. Our results can provide a specific reference for understanding how ecosystems will respond to climate change.

The effect of rainfall and crop management on take-all and eyespot of wheat in the field

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 645 ◽  
Author(s):  
GM Murray ◽  
DP Heenan ◽  
AC Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Gaeumannomyces Graminis ◽  
Wagga Wagga ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Grazed Pasture ◽  
Soil Water Conditions ◽  
Wilting Point ◽  
Take All

The incidence of take-all of wheat, caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt), and eyespot, caused by Tapesia yallundae, was examined in a long-term rotation-tillage experiment at Wagga Wagga, N.S.W. Take-all occurred in years of higher August-October rainfall from 1979 to 1984. In years with take-all, soil water in the upper 20 cm was estimated to be above permanent wilting point for the growing season. Eyespot was associated with above-average rainfall during winter and spring and was more prevalent where residues of wheat or grasses were retained. After the severe drought of 1982, take-all developed to high levels in 1983 in wheat that followed wheat, lupins or pasture when stubble was retained, but was reduced in 1984 after lupins. Take-all was reduced in the lupin-wheat rotations by removing stubble through burning or by early incorporation of stubble. Take-all incidence was less in wheat that followed grazed pasture than after mown pasture. Where stubble was retained, Ggt survived on stubble from wheat in 1981, through the drought of 1982, to infect wheat in 1983, but inoculum did not survive on stubble through the wet season of 1983 to infect wheat in 1984. Regression analysis indicated that take-all was negatively correlated with yield but eyespot was not. Take-all reduced yield by reducing kernel mass in 1 year and by reducing kernels per cm2 in 2 other years. Soil water conditions that were associated with take-all development from 1979 to 1984 occurred in 50% of years from 1960 to 1989.

scholarly journals Effect of cow parity and synchronization method with PGF2α on conception rates of Bos indicus cows in Cameroon

2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-162
Author(s):  
Pougue Henri Bayemi ◽  
Isabelle Leinyuy ◽  
Munji Victorine Nsongka ◽  
Edward Cottington Webb ◽  
Justin Mbanya Nchadji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Synchronization Method ◽  
Conception Rates

Anatomical adaptations of the desert species Stipa lagascae against drought stress

Biologia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Façal Boughalleb ◽  
Raoudha Abdellaoui ◽  
Zied Hadded ◽  
Mohammed Neffati
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Cortical Cell ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Leaf Rolling ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Severe Water Deficit ◽  
Anatomical Adaptations ◽  
Stipa Lagascae

AbstractStipa lagascae R. & Sch. (perennial bunchgrass) is one of the most promising steppic species for arid and desert lands of Tunisia. The present study was designed to study the effect of drought on root and leaf anatomy, water relationship, and the growth of three- month-old S. lagascae plants, submitted to water deficit (5, 10, 15, 20, 30 days of withheld irrigation) and grown in pots in greenhouse conditions. The results show that water deficit treatments reduced the biomass accumulation (MS) and leaf water potential (Ψw) of plants. However, leaf relative water content (RWC) decreased significantly only at severe drought. The root’s anatomical features showed reduced root cross-sectional diameter under water deficit. Conversely, epidermis was unaffected by water stress. Moderate and/or severe water deficit (20-30 days) reduced significantly the cortex thickness, cortical cell size, stele diameter, xylem vessel diameter and the stele/root crosssectional ratio, while the number of cortical cells increased for severe water deficit. The cuticles and mesophyll of S. lagascae was thickened by moderate to severe drought and the entire lamina thickness was increased significantly by 5.8% only after 30 days of water deficit while epidermis was unaffected by water deficit. However, severe water deficit (30 days) decreased the width and the length of the bundle sheath. At the same time, the mesophyll cells size and both the xylem and phloem vessels diameter diminished by 12, 16.8 and 17.5%, respectively. Leaf rolling occurs as a response to water deficit and its level increases as the drought period is progressing in plants while reduced bulliform cells size occurred only at severe water deficit. Our findings suggest a complex network of root and leaf anatomical adaptations such as a reduced vessel size with lesser cortical and mesophyll parenchyma formation and increased leaf rolling. These proprieties are required for the maintenance of water potential and energy storage under water stress which can improve the resistance of S. lagascae to survive in extremely arid areas

Prediction of conception rate in extensive beef herds in north-western Australia. 2. Continuous mating and minimal management

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
PK O'Rourke ◽  
VJ Doogan ◽  
DJ Robertson ◽  
D Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Conception Rate ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Conception Rates ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Beef Herds ◽  
Survival Risk

Data from a continuously mated, unweaned and unsupplemented herd of 400 Bos indicus cross cows at 'Kidman Springs', from 1981-85, were used to develop statistical models for conception rate and pattern. At the annual muster in June, an average of 49% of cows were rearing a calf; 15% of these and 75% of those not rearing a calf were pregnant; and 54% conceived within the next 12 months. Cows non-pregnant in June had higher conception rates than pregnant ones (75 v. 33%), and among pregnant cows, those which had reared a calf had higher conception rates than those which had not (40 v. 26%). Cows that had not reared a calf were much heavier and in better condition in June than those that had, while pregnant cows were slightly heavier and better conditioned than non-pregnant ones. The effect of liveweight or condition score in June on subsequent conception rate was consistent across years, reproductive classes and cow ages. Conception rates responded linearly to increases in liveweight, in the range 250-400 kg, by 11 percentage points up to October and by 24 points up to June. Similar linear responses to condition score in the range poor-good condition were 8 points by October and 15 points by June. Reproductive wastage was high, with 20% of cows diagnosed pregnant in June failing to rear their calf to branding. Low-cost management options to improve reproductive efficiency should be aimed at reducing nutritional stress and improving seasonal nutrition. To improve on the norm of a calf every second year in this environment, the class of cows not rearing a calf but pregnant and expected to calve by December has the greatest potential to conceive in consecutive years and should be segregated for preferential management. Conversely, aged cows not rearing a calf have comparatively low fertility and non-pregnant younger cows not rearing a calf are likely to be a survival risk following an out-ofseason conception. Both groups should be culled.

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