Growth rate, scrotal circumference, sperm characteristics, and sexual behavior of mixed-breed goat bucks fed three leguminous trees

Aim of study: To investigate the effect of feeding foliage of leguminous trees on growth rate, semen characteristics, and sexual behavior of bucks. Area of study: Northeastern Mexico (23°44' N, 99°8' W). Material and methods: Twenty-two young goat bucks were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: 33% alfalfa hay (dry matter basis), 33%; Acacia farnesiana; Leucaena leucocephala; or Prosopis laevigata foliage (n=4 for alfalfa; n=6 for the rest of groups). Main results: Average daily gain (ADG) did not differ between bucks fed alfalfa, A. farnesiana, or L. leucocephala (120 ± 26, 134 ± 37, and 103 ± 29 g/d, respectively), but ADG of bucks offered P. laevigata was the lowest (72 ± 8 g; p<0.05). Bucks fed alfalfa had the highest feed efficiency (6.59 ± 1.25 kg of feed consumed/kg of gain; p<0.05) and bucks offered leguminous trees had the lowest (average 9.85 ± 2.3). Bucks offered alfalfa, and A. farnesiana had increased (p<0.05) scrotal circumference (26.6 ± 0.4 and 25.8 ± 1.5 cm) than bucks fed L. leucocephala, or P. laevigata (24.3 ± 1.2 and 24.1 ± 2.0 cm). Mean ejaculate volume was two-fold higher in alfalfa-fed bucks than all other dietary treatments. Sexual behavior did not differ among bucks fed the different legumes. Research highlights: Foliage of both A. farnesiana and L. leucocephala could totally replace alfalfa hay for rearing growing goat bucks in confinement without affecting daily weight gain, most semen characteristics, and copulation ability. P. laevigata reduced body weight and reproductive function.

Development Dynamics of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. Сenopopulations Found in Azerbaijan

The Albizia julibrissin Durazz. species — one of the relict leguminous trees found in the Republic of Azerbaijan has been investigated. The dynamics of the development of the cenopopulation, in which the species is widespread, was observed in the association of the Persian silk tree or pink silk tree (Albizziaetum julibrissin), and this development was not considered satisfactory. Because the defoliation of species was observed under conditions of middle and older generative age. Observations of weakened and severely weakened viability during the study indicate an unsatisfactory current and future state of the species in this area. The study of the Albizia julibrissin Durazz. species entered in the Red Book of Azerbaijan at the level of cenopopulation allows making predictions about the future population of this plant.

Physical quality of soil under secondary forest, leguminous trees, and degraded pasture

The objective of this work was to assess the efficiency of revegetation with forest leguminous species, for the recovery of the physical quality of a Typic Hapludult under degraded pasture, located in a steep-slope tropical landscape in Southeastern Brazil. Soil samples were collected at the 0-0.10 m and 0.10-0.20 m depths, in areas under Acacia auriculiformis (northern black wattle), Mimosa caesalpiniifolia (“sabiá”), Inga edulis (“ingá”), secondary forest (“capoeira”), and degraded pasture. Tensile strength (TS) was evaluated in soil aggregates of the size classes 8.0-12.5 mm and 12.5-19.0 mm, for the variables TS 8 and TS 12.5, respectively. The lowest mean values of both variables always occurred under the pasture cover (TS 8 of 37.1 kPa and TS 12.5 of 22.7 kPa, for the 0-0.10 m soil layer; and TS 8 of 39.2 kPa and TS 12.5 of 22.8 kPa, for the 0.10-0.20 m soil layer). The highest TS mean values were obtained under the “capoeira” cover (TS 8 of 62.2 kPa, for the 0-0.10 m soil layer) and “sabiá” cover (TS 12.5 of 46.0 kPa, for the 0-0.10 m soil layer; and TS 8 of 53.0 kPa and TS 12.5 of 51.4 kPa, for the 0.10-0.20 m soil layer). Land revegetation with leguminous trees recovers the soil physical quality, since the TS values under the evaluated covers are predominantly closer to those of the secondary forest than to those of the degraded pasture.