IMPROVEMENT OF FORAGE QUALITY THROUGH PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT AND PLANT BREEDING

The prospects for improving forage quality through improved management of forage production and through plant breeding are reviewed, with emphasis on the Canadian situation. The major components of forage quality are nutrient content, digestibility, voluntary intake, and lack of anti-nutritive factors. Since maturity has a major impact on forage quality, adequate harvest systems and equipment are essential for consistent production of quality forage. Legume forages are generally of higher quality than grasses. Greater use of legumes and improved procedures for renovation of grass-legume mixtures provide opportunities for improved forage quality. Greater use of complementary and rotational grazing systems should enhance intake of quality forage. Breeding for improved forage quality is a slow, long-term approach, but relatively small improvements in digestibility can give substantial improvements in animal productivity. Breeding for improved quality should continue with emphasis on anti-nutritive factors and intake of digestible energy. Progress in breeding the cool-season forages for improved quality has been impaired by inadequate analytical techniques. Analytical methods used in nutrition laboratories may require modification or adaptation to meet the unique requirements of plant breeders.Key words: Forage, management, breeding, quality, digestion

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192 Towards Year-Round Grazing in the Southeastern U.S

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz397.153 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 67-67

Author(s):

Gabe J Pent

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Small Ruminants ◽

Warm Season ◽

Forage Production ◽

Cool Season ◽

Farm Productivity ◽

Harvest Efficiency ◽

Feed Costs

Abstract Winter feeds costs for small ruminants exceeds 50% of the total cost of most small ruminant production systems in the Southeastern U.S. Keeping these feed costs low is one of the most effective and time-tested ways to improve farm profitability. While maintaining an appropriate stocking rate will be critical for sustaining long-term farm productivity, a suite of other management practices is available to assist in this objective. Installing appropriate fence and watering system infrastructure for managing grazing will be critical for improving harvest efficiency and stockpiling forages for utilization when forage growth is limited. Filling gaps in forage production may also be achieved through the strategic use of a number of forage species, including warm-season or cool-season forages and annual or perennial forages. Managing stored forages appropriately during storing and feeding will help minimize feed losses, while producing quality hay will reduce the need for supplementary feeds. With the adoption of these proven practices, sheep and goat production may be optimized by allowing them to harvest their own feed almost year-round in the Southeastern U.S.

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Forage-Based Heifer Development Program for North Florida

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-ag424-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Jose C.B. Dubeux ◽

Nicolas DiLorenzo ◽

Kalyn Waters ◽

Jane C. Griffin

Keyword(s):

Development Program ◽

Warm Season ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Good News ◽

Cool Season ◽

Beef Industry ◽

Performance Targets ◽

Grazing Systems ◽

Heifer Development ◽

Reducing Costs

Florida has 915,000 beef cows and 125,000 replacement heifers (USDA, 2016). Developing these heifers so that they can become productive females in the cow herd is a tremendous investment in a cow/calf operation, an investment that takes several years to make a return. The good news is that there are options to develop heifers on forage-based programs with the possibility of reducing costs while simultaneously meeting performance targets required by the beef industry. Mild winters in Florida allows utilization of cool-season forages that can significantly enhance the performance of grazing heifers. During the warm-season, integration of forage legumes into grazing systems will provide additional nutrients to meet the performance required to develop a replacement heifer to become pregnant and enter the mature cow herd. In this document, we will propose a model for replacement heifer development, based on forage research performed in trials at the NFREC Marianna.

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Effect of NPK fertilization on the yield of winter wheat and maize and on the nutrient content of the soil in a long-term experiment network in Hungary

Agrokémia és Talajtan ◽

10.1556/agrokem.62.2013.2.10 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 311-330

Author(s):

Jakab Loch ◽

János Lazányi

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Term Experiment ◽

Long Term Experiment ◽

Npk Fertilization

Az Országos Műtrágyázási Tartamkísérletek (OMTK) tizenkét NPK kezeléskombinációjában, kilenc termőhelyen vizsgáltuk az NPK-trágyázás hatását az őszi búza és a kukorica termésére és a talajok 0,01 M CaCl2-oldható tápelemtartalmára. A termőhelyek: Bicsérd (BI), Hajdúböszörmény (HA), Iregszemcse (IR), Karcag (KA), Keszthely (KE), Kompolt (KO), Mosonmagyaróvár (MO), Nagyhörcsök (NA), Putnok (PU). Az NPK kezelések: 000, 101, 111, 121, 201, 220, 221, 222, 331, 341, 421, 441. A N- és P-kezelések a kódoknak megfelelően 50 kg N, ill. P2O5·ha−1, a K-adagok 100 kg K2O·ha−1 hatóanyag-mennyiséggel növekszenek. Az őszi búza termésadatok a 23., 24., 27., 28. és 31. évi kísérletekből, a kukoricatermések a 25., 26., 29. és 30. évből származnak.Az NPK-kezelések jelentősen növelték az őszi búza és a kukorica öt-, illetve négyéves átlagtermését, szignifikáns különbségek jöttek létre a termőhelyek átlagában. Az NPK-kezelések különböző érvényesülése az egyes termőhelyeken az eltérő ökológiai viszonyok, köztük a különböző eredeti tápelemtartalom és szolgáltató képesség következménye.Az NPK-kezelések hatására a talajok 0,01 M CaCl2-oldható tápelemtartalma is jelentősen változott. A növények tápelemigényét meghaladó kezelések tartamhatásaként tápelem-felhalmozódás igazolható mindhárom tápelem esetében. A növények szükségletét meghaladó N-adagok, a karbonátos talajokat és a nagy agyagtartalmú kompolti (KO) talajt kivéve csökkentették a talaj pH-t. A másodfokú görbék az őszi búza ötéves termésátlaga és a 0,01 M CaCl2-ban mért összes-N, P- és K-tartalom közötti összefüggéseket szemléltetik termőhelyenként.A legnagyobb kezeléshatások azokon a talajokon igazolhatók, melyeken a kontroll 0,01 M CaCl2-oldható összes-N értéke kisebb, mint 5–10 mg·kg−1. A 15,0 mg·kg−1 érték felett altalaban nem érvényesült a nitrogén termésnövelő hatása. Kivételt képez a tápanyagban gazdag, hajdúböszörményi nem karbonátos réti talaj. A foszfor termésnövelő hatása 2,0 mg P·kg−1 érték felett — a karbonátos réti talaj kivételével — általában nem érvényesül. Az összefüggéseket jellemző R2 meghatározottsági tényezők a legkisebbek az őszi búza és a talaj 0,01 M CaCl2-oldható K-tartalma között, ami az egyéb tényezők nagyobb szerepére utal.A bemutatott eredmények igazolják, hogy a 0,01 M CaCl2-oldható N-, P- és Kfrakciók alkalmasak a tápanyaghiány és -felesleg jellemzésére. Egyben igazolják, hogy az eltérő ökológiai viszonyok között nagyobb terméskülönbségek jöhetnek létre, mint a kezelések hatására. A környezetkímélő tápanyag-gazdálkodás megköveteli a tápanyagok eltérő érvényesülésének figyelembevételét.A termésadatok átengedéséért köszönet az OMTK Hálózati Tanács elnökének, titkárának, és valamennyi kísérletfelelősnek.

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Influence of long-term fertilization on soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity in relation to crop productivity in an acid Inceptisols

ORYZA- An International Journal on Rice ◽

10.35709/ory.2019.56.3.6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 305-311

Author(s):

Debasis Purohit ◽

Mitali Mandal ◽

Avisek Dash ◽

Kumbha Karna Rout ◽

Narayan Panda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Dehydrogenase Activity ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Maturity Stage ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

Biological Potential ◽

Initiation Stage ◽

The Impact

An effective approach for improving nutrient use efficiency and crop productivity simultaneously through exploitation of biological potential for efficient acquisition and utilization of nutrients by crops is very much needed in this current era. Thus, an attempt is made here to investigate the impact of long term fertilization in the soil ecology in rice-rice cropping system in post kharif - 2015 in flooded tropical rice (Oryza sativa L.) in an acidic sandy soil. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with quadruplicated treatments. Soil samples at different growth stages of rice were collected from long term fertilizer experiment.The studied long-term manured treatments included 100 % N, 100% NP, 100 % NPK, 150 % NPK and 100 % NPK+FYM (5 t ha-1) and an unmanured control. Soil fertility status like SOC content and other available nutrient content has decreased continuously towards the crop growth period. Comparing the results of different treatments, it was found that the application of 100% NPK + FYM exhibited highest nutrient content in soils. With regards to microbial properties it was also observed that the amount of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen ( MBN) showed highest accumulation in 100 % NPK + FYM at maximum tillering stage of the rice. The results further reveal that dehydrogenase activity was maximum at panicle initiation stage and thereafter it decreases. Soil organic carbon content, MBC, MBN and dehydrogenase activity were significantly correlated with each other. Significant correlations were observed between rice yield and MBC at maturity stage( R2 = 0.94**) and panicle initiation stage( R2 = 0.92**) and available nitrogen content at maturity stage( R2 = 0.91**).

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Effect of Long‐Term Subfreezing Storage of Seed on Legume Forage Production 1

Crop Science ◽

10.2135/cropsci1980.0011183x002000050006x ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 574-577 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Clarence M. Rincker

Keyword(s):

Forage Production

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Recent advances in the analysis full/empty capsid ratio and genome integrity of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery vectors

Current Molecular Medicine ◽

10.2174/1566524020999200730181042 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

Author(s):

L. Hajba ◽

A. Guttman

Keyword(s):

Gene Delivery ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Analytical Techniques ◽

Viral Gene ◽

Adeno Associated Virus ◽

Gene Delivery Vectors ◽

Empty Capsid ◽

Purification Methods ◽

Viral Gene Delivery

: Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is one of the most promising viral gene delivery vectors with long-term gene expression and disease correction featuring high efficiency and excellent safety in human clinical trials. During the production of AAV vectors,there are several quality control (QC)parameters that should be rigorously monitored to comply with clini-cal safety and efficacy. This review gives a short summary of the most frequently used AVV production and purification methods,focusing on the analytical techniques applied to determine the full/empty capsid ratio and the integrity of the encapsidated therapeutic DNA of the products.

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Multispecies for multifunctions: combining four complementary species enhances multifunctionality of sown grassland

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82162-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Matthias Suter ◽

Olivier Huguenin-Elie ◽

Andreas Lüscher

Keyword(s):

Forage Quality ◽

N Cycling ◽

Forage Production ◽

Mixture Effects ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Overall Performance ◽

The Mean ◽

High Forage ◽

Diversity Effects ◽

Species Mixtures

AbstractAssessing the overall performance of ecosystems requires a quantitative evaluation of multifunctionality. We investigated plant species diversity effects on individual functions and overall multifunctionality in a grassland experiment with sown monocultures and mixtures comprising four key grass and legume species. Nitrogen fertilisation rates were 50, 150, and 450 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (N50, N150, N450). Ten functions were measured representing forage production, N cycling, and forage quality, all being related to either productivity or environmental footprint. Multifunctionality was analysed by a novel approach using the mean log response ratio across functions. Over three experimental years, mixture effects benefited all forage production and N cycling functions, while sustaining high forage quality. Thus, mixture effects did not provoke any trade-off among the analysed functions. High N fertilisation rates generally diminished mixture benefits. Multifunctionality of four-species mixtures was considerably enhanced, and mixture overall performance was up to 1.9 (N50), 1.8 (N150), and 1.6 times (N450) higher than in averaged monocultures. Multifunctionality of four-species mixtures at N50 was at least as high as in grass monocultures at N450. Sown grass–legume mixtures combining few complementary species at low to moderate N fertilisation sustain high multifunctionality and are a ‘ready-to-use’ option for the sustainable intensification of agriculture.

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Evaluation of the CERES-Rice Model for Precision Nitrogen Management for Rice in Northeast China

Advances in Animal Biosciences ◽

10.1017/s2040470017000024 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 328-332

Author(s):

J. Zhang ◽

Y. Miao ◽

W.D. Batchelor

Keyword(s):

Northeast China ◽

Weather Data ◽

Cool Season ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Optimum N Rate ◽

Management Recommendations ◽

N Management ◽

N Rates ◽

N Use

Over-application of nitrogen (N) in rice (Oryza sativaL.) production in China is common, leading to low N use efficiency (NUE) and high environmental risks. The objective of this work was to evaluate the ability of the CERES-Rice crop growth model to simulate N response in the cool climate of Northeast China, with the long term goal of using the model to develop optimum N management recommendations. Nitrogen experiments were conducted from 2011–2015 in Jiansanjiang, Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. The CERES-Rice model was calibrated for 2014 and 2015 and evaluated for 2011 and 2013 experiments. Overall, the model gave good estimations of yield across N rates for the calibration years (R2=0.89) and evaluation years (R2=0.73). The calibrated model was then run using weather data from 2001–2015 for 20 different N rates to determine the N rate that maximized the long term marginal net return (MNR) for different N prices. The model results indicated that the optimum mean N rate was 120–130 kg N ha–1, but that the simulated optimum N rate varied each year, ranging from 100 to 200 kg N ha–1. Results of this study indicated that the CERES-Rice model was able to simulate cool season rice growth and provide estimates of optimum regional N rates that were consistent with field observations for the area.

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Goat and Sheep Grazing in Shrub-Infested Semi-arid Woodlands of New South Wales.

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj9860140 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 140 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

BH Downing

Keyword(s):

Animal Species ◽

New South ◽

Economic Implications ◽

Dietary Preferences ◽

South Wales ◽

Continuous Grazing ◽

Local Observation ◽

Grazing Systems ◽

Western Division

Examination of data on dietary preferences of sheep, goats and cattle suggests that different grazing systems are desirable for each of the three major woodland types (belah-rosewood, mulga, poplar box) examined. Competition for herbs, frequently palatable to all animal species, indicates that goats and sheep are unsuitable for joint use either in heavily wooded country or where annual herbaceous production is less than 200 kg-ha. Supplementary feeding, fire and judicious stocking are proposed as a strategy for inducing goats to eat a proportion of unpalatable shrubs. The literature provides little helpful information on how rangelands in the Western Division should be managed. No reports are given on comparisons of grazing systems, such as rotational grazing, rotational resting, and continuous grazing. No guidance is given on grazing after burning of the rangeland. Recommendations are generally against the use of goats for control of woody plants, whereas local observation shows this to be an apparently effective practice. The recommendations are mostly based on experimental procedures which, although suitable for detecting animal dietary preferences in the short term, are less appropriate for investigation of the effects of grazing on range condition in the long term. Some suggestions are made towards a different approach for: investigating the effects of grazing by sheep and goats on rangeland condition, and the economic implications of this in terms of animal production.

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