The response of weaner cattle grazing natural pastures in north western Australia to phosphoric acid, non protein nitrogen and sulphur in their drinking water.

1981 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
A.McR. Holm ◽  
AL Payne ◽  
PD Morgan ◽  
EJ Speijers

The study was designed to evaluate the effects of phosphorus and non protein nitrogen supplementation on weaner cattle grazing natural pastures on the Fitzroy Pastoral Research Station, north Western Australia. The study was repeated over the period July 1971 to April 1976, with four drafts of weaners which grazed Mitchell grass pastures during the dry season and curly spinifex-ribbon grass pastures during the wet season. In each year, one of four groups received either no supplement (control), urea plus sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, or urea plus ammonium sulphate plus phosphoric acid. The supplements were measured into and mixed with the drinking water. Weaners given phosphoric acid gained between 10.5 and 21.7 kg a head more than those not given phosphorus. The response was significant in two of the four dry seasons, three of the four wet seasons and for every ye= when both seasons were considered together. Urea supplements increased liveweight gain over the dry season and depressed liveweight gain over the wet season. There was no advantage to urea when the two seasons were combined. Cattle given supplements through the drinking water drank less water and more of those given nitrogenous compounds died than those not receiving supplements.

1980 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Holm ◽  
GJ Eliot

The nutritive value of Astrebla elymoides, A. pectinata, Chrysopogon fallax, Iseilema vaginiflorum, Neptunia monosperma from black soil plains (BSP) pasture land; and Plectrachne pungens, Chrysopogon fallax, Sorghum plumosum, and Eriachne obtusa of curly spinifex-ribbon grass (CSRC;) pasture land, was assessed over the period October 1975 to October 1977 at the Fitzroy Pastoral Research Station, north Western Australia. Seasonal trends in crude protein, crude fibre. phosphorus. calcium and in vitro digestibility, together with some physiological parameters are described for each species. BSP pastures were found to be higher in crude protein, lower in crude fibre and more digestible than CSRG pasture species. Crude protein contents of most BSP pasture species were sufficient for maintenance of cattle during the dry season while CSRG species were below maintenance All species were deficient in phosphorus over the dry season and some species were marginal to deficient over the wet season.


1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (105) ◽  
pp. 398 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Holm ◽  
AL Payne

The liveweight of Shorthorn steers on fertilized birdwood grass (Cenchrus setiger) pastures, growing on sandy 'Pindan' soils, at Derby, north Western Australia, was recorded over 3 years from September 1973 to July 1976. A separate draft of steers was used in each of the 3 years. Half of the steers in each draft were given a supplement of urea, phosphoric acid and ammonium sulphate in the drinking water. These supplemented steers gained an average of 147 kg, 128 kg and 93 kg per head, or 31 kg, 70 kg and 44 kg per head more, than unsupplemented steers in the 3 years. There was a consistent positive response in liveweight gains in all post-wet and pre-wet season periods, and a positive response in two of the three wet seasons. Two levels of pasture use were also imposed but did not have any consistent effect on pasture composition or liveweight gain. Copper injections, and cobalt as cobalt oxide bullets, were given to approximately half the stock in years 1 and 2 respectively. There was a small response (P < 0.05) to copper during the post-wet season, but over the whole grazing period the response was negligible. The cobalt bullets had no effect.


2006 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Hanne H. Hansen ◽  
Jørgen Madsen

SummaryThe diet of cattle grazing in the Sanyati communal area, Zimbabwe was determined using plant particle identification from faeces from intact animals, and faeces and oesophageal extrusa from fistulated animals. A total of 130 plant genus, species and types were identified. The twenty most frequently occurring species in the samples comprised between 76 and 90% of the identifiable diet. The most frequent grass species were more than half of the identified diet in the dry season while they were half or less of the identified diet in the wet season. There were more plant species identified in the wet season than in the dry season. Significant differences were found when comparing the plant species identified in faeces to those in oesophageal extrusa from fistulated animals. This may be due to incomplete recovery of ingesta in the bags, or to the loss of identifiable particles in the faeces when compared to oesophageal extrusa because of digestibility. More research is needed to validate the use of oesophageal extrusa for diet botanical determination.


1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 781 ◽  
Author(s):  
DB Coates

The dietary preference of cattle grazing Stylosanthes-based pastures in the seasonally dry tropics of North Queensland was studied using faecal carbon ratios (S13C) to determine grass-legume proportions. Estimates were made at monthly intervals for several years in 1 experiment to determine the effect of year, season and botanical composition on dietary stylo proportions. In another experiment, the effect of stylo cultivars (Verano and Seca) on dietary preference was monitored for 17 months. Where pastures provided ample opportunity for selection, cattle showed a strong preference for grass in the early wet season and in the late dry season. The proportion of stylo in the diet increased during the wet season and reached peak proportions (as high as 80%) in the late wet season or early dry season. Dietary stylo proportions decreased as pastures dried off and as the stylo shed leaf or became more stemmy. The length of the wet season and the amount and distribution of rainfall had a major influence on the seasonal pattern of diet selection. Stylo rarely fell below 20% in the diet. On an annual basis, stylo accounted for about 45% of the diet which was appreciably higher than the proportion of stylo in the pasture. Dietary stylo proportions were higher on Seca-based pasture than on Verano-based pasture. The avoidance of stylo in the early wet season was less pronounced with Seca compared with Verano. Later in the season Seca was the dominant dietary component for a much longer period than Verano. The effect of botanical composition on dietary grass-legume proportions varied between and within years. Correlations between grass-legume proportions in the pasture and in the diet were highest in the late dry season and early wet season when preference for grass was strongest. At the end of the wet season when cattle preferred stylo, dietary stylo was not related to pasture stylo content except in a drought year. Averaged over the full year, dietary stylo content was significantly correlated with pasture stylo content in all years and the correlation was highest in a drought year when there was a high level of utilisation and less opportunity for selection. A simple model relating dietary stylo to pasture stylo was developed and is discussed.


1987 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 155 ◽  
Author(s):  
AL Chapman ◽  
RJK Myers

The uptake of nitrogen (N) by dry season rice following wet season crops of soybean (for grain or green manure), green gram, Sesbania cannabina (a native legume), a cereal (sorghum or dryland rice for grain), or bare fallow, was studied for 3 cropping cycles over 4 years. The work was done on Cununurra clay (0.04% N) at Kimberley Research Station near Kununurra, W.A., in the Ord Irrigation Area. Stubbles were returned to the soil except in the first cycle when (excluding the green manure treatment) all tops were removed from the plots at maturity. There was a 12-month bare fallow period between the first and second cycles. Dry season rice was drill-sown with or without 100 kg ha-1 of N applied as urea at permanent flooding. Soybean, green gram and Sesbania crops accumulated 290-360, 80-130 and 110-180 kg N ha-1, respectively, in the tops at maturity. An average of about 40 kg N ha-1 was present in the stem bases and roots (0-20 cm depth). Estimates of nitrogen fixation based on 15N dilution measurements ranged from 65-72% of total plant N when the legumes were grown after 12 months fallow, to 93-95% when they were grown immediately following dry season rice. Fertiliser N at 25 kg ha-1 applied presowing ('starter' N) had no significant effect on legume N yield at maturity. N returned in leaves, stems and hulls averaged 30, 50 and 80 kg N ha-1 for green gram, soybean and Sesbania, respectively. Rice grain yields and N uptake at maturity were generally highest after Sesbania and lowest after a wet season cereal crop. Differences among treatments were small and related to the quantity of N returned in residues. On average, 11% of the N in the residues was recovered in the tops of the following rice crop. Rice yields increased over the 4-year period, but mean increases were similar for legume and non-legume treatments. The average apparent recovery of N applied as urea to dry season rice at permanent flooding was 76%. The inclusion of a soybean cash crop in the rotation offers the possibility of a marginal reduction in the need for N fertiliser.


1984 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 471 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Solem ◽  
CC Christensen

Dissections of camaenid land snails collected in the Kimberley Region of north-western Australia between 1975 and 1980 reveal a general pattern of sexual maturation. Snails reach half adult shell size in the wet season of their birth, reach adult shell size and become mature males at the end of their second wet season, and function as males at the beginning of their third wet season; the female genitalia mature near the end of this season; and snails function as both males and females in their fourth and subsequent wet seasons. A life span of >8 years is demonstrated. Seasonal genital variation in adults involves: (1) gross size reduction of the apical genitalia during the mid-wet season, which provides maximum space for food storage, thereby allowing survival during aestivation over the long dry season; (2) becoming male active at or shortly before the normal start ofthe wet season at that particular locality; (3) activation of the female system after the first rains of the wet season. Adult shell size is hypothesized to depend upon moisture conditions near the end ofthe snail's second wet season: any early interruption of moisture supply causes growth to stop at a lower whorl count and produces smaller adults; favourable moisture conditions allow extended growth time, with cessation occurring at a higher whorl count, and producing a larger sized adult.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-186
Author(s):  
Akoteyon ◽  
S Isaiah

Water samples collected from fifteen hand dug wells in November (dry season), 2011 and July (Wet season), 2012 using random sampling technique. In situ parameters were measured for pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids using portable meters. Heavy metals were analyzed for; Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cr using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The study aimed at examining the spatial variations in groundwater quality around dumpsite in Igando using paired sample T-test statistical technique. The result shows that the measured pH values were below the minimum WHO standard for drinking water quality in wet and dry seasons in about73.3% and 26.7% respectively. Also, approximately, 13.3% of EC, and 6.7% exceeded the prescribed standard limit of WHO in dry and wet seasons respectively. Concentration of Fe exceeded drinking water quality in all the sampling locations during wet season and only about 46.7% in dry season. Pb, Zn, and Cu exceeded WHO limit in about 86.7%, 80%, and 26.7% respectively in dry season. Concentration of Pb, Cd , Cu and Cr were under detection limit in all the locations except at locations G2 for Cu in wet season. The paired samples statistics and correlation revealed that the mean values of all the parameters were higher in dry season with the exception of Fe. No significant correlations exist among the paramet er for both seasons at p<0.05. The paired T-test show significant seasonal variations among four heavy metals including Fe, Cd, Pb and Zn.The study concluded that, samples in dry season are of low quality compared to wet. The study recommends public enlightenment on solid waste disposal, controlled anthropogenic activities, and treatment /recycling of waste to prevent heavy metal from leaching unto the sub-surface.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v6i1.22063 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 6(1): 179-186 2013


1964 ◽  
Vol 4 (15) ◽  
pp. 321
Author(s):  
Rijn PJ van

Between 1960 and 1963, four preliminary experiments on herbicides for cotton were carried out at Kimberley Research Station. Diuron, applied pre-emergence at rates of 1/2-1 lb an acre active ingredient (a. i.), and dicryl, applied seven to ten days after emergence at rates of 3-6 lb an acre a. i., gave satisfactory weed control. Diuron, because of its longer residual action (six weeks in early wet season, two months or more in late wet and early dry season) is preferred, and is recommended as the standard herbicidal treatment for Ord River cotton crops.


1963 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rijin PJ van

In three trials at Kimberley Research Station between 1959 and 1962 the herbicides monuron and simazine were tested for the control of weeds in irrigation channels during the wet season. Monuron at 12-16 lbs an acre and simazine at 12 lb an acre active ingredient controlled (or killed) most weeds. More resistant weeds, such as Brachiaria mutica (Forsk.) Stapf. (para grass), Chionachne Hubbardiana Henr. and Clitoria ternatea L. (butterfly pea) required higher rates (up to 20 lb an acre active ingredient). Channels should be sprayed approximately a fortnight before sowing cotton and rice crops. The effectiveness of the treatments was increased by burning the weeds and delving the channels. Since cotton was found susceptible to simazine and rice was very susceptible to monuron, supply channels for cotton should be sprayed with monuron and channels for rice with simazine.


1968 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 657 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC O'Kelly ◽  
DW Robinson

An experiment with 79 Shorthorn cattle was carried out in the Kimberley region of north-western Australia, to study the influence of drought feeding with whole cottonseed, and of vitamin therapy, on blood lipid components and liveweight changes in cattle during the dry season. The blood serum levels of total, free, and esterified cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids were elevated as a result of cottonseed supplementation, as compared with levels at the end of the following wet season. In general the levels of these blood lipids were higher in the animals fed on cottonseed for longer periods. Neither the level of free fatty acids nor the ratio of free to esterified cholesterol was affected significantly by cottonseed supplementation. Liveweight responses were proportional to the duration of the supplementation period. There were no differences in liveweight changes or the blood components measured which could be attributed to vitamin therapy.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document