Decomposition of Forest Litter and Feces of Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda: Oniscidea) Produced from the Same Litter Affected by Temperature and Litter Quality

To explore the question how litter and macrofauna feces respond to temperature and how respiration differs for litter with a different CN ratio, we compared the decomposition rates of leaf litter (Alnus glutinosa, Salix caprea, and Acer campestre) and isopod (Armadillidium vulgare) feces produced from the same litter in response to three constant (8, 16, and 24 °C) and one fluctuating (first week 8 °C, the other week 24 °C) temperatures in a 50 week laboratory experiment and in a field trial. Microbial respiration of litter with lower CN ratio (alder and willow) was significantly higher than respiration of feces, no significant difference was found for maple litter with higher CN ratio. This was supported by field litter bag experiments where alder and willow litter decomposed faster than feces but the opposite was true for maple litter. Litter respiration was significantly affected by temperature but feces respiration was not. Fluctuating temperature caused either lower or equal respiration as compared to mean constant temperature. The content of phenolics was significantly higher in intact litter in comparison with decomposed litter and feces, either fresh or decomposed. The CN ratio decreased as litter turned to feces in maple and alder litter but increased in willow litter. In conclusion, microbial respiration of both litter and feces were substantially affected by litter quality; the litter was more sensitive to temperature than feces.

Response of Seed Dressing With Boron Dust and Slurry on Wheat Variety WK- 1204 For Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits under Poly Bag and Field Study At Khumaltar, Nepal

Field and poly bag experiments were carried out at Khumaltar on wheat variety WK-1204 by dressing seed with sodium borate decahydrate dust (containing 11.34% elemental boron) and slurry per 100 g wheat seed. A total of nine treatments of Boron (B) dust and slurry to treat wheat seed at 2.2, 4.4, 6.4 and 8.8 gram per 100 g seed and basal application of B at 1.0 kg a.i./ha was in three replications for both field and poly bag experiments in randomized complete block design. The objective of the study was to find out the effect of boron seed dressing on grain yield and agronomic attributes of wheat variety under study. The result of the study revealed that grain yield and agronomic traits were highly and significantly correlated with seed dressing with boron dust at 2.2 to 8.8 g boron /100 g seed of wheat. This finding was consistent with field and poly bag experiments which were coherent with the findings of lab analysis for attributes of root and shoot length, and percentage of germination. However, seed dressing with boron slurry at 2.2 to 8.8 g/ 100 g wheat seed inhibited grain yield and agronomic attributes of wheat in the study. Therefore, seed dressing with boron dust at different level was superior over seed dressing with boron slurry for higher grain yield and yield related traits of wheat variety WK-1204 at Khumaltar condition. Boron deficiency for wheat could be corrected by seed dressing with boron dust at 2.2 to 8.6 g boron /100g wheat seed. This could be very economical and practical way of enhancing wheat production in hilly terrain areas of Nepal where one of the reasons of yield limitations is due to deficiency of boron.Agronomy Journal of Nepal (Agron JN), Vol.4, 2016, page: 64-74

Digestion of forages in the rumen is increased by the amount but not the type of protein supplement

Three polyester bag experiments were conducted with fistulated Bos indicus steers to determine the effect of the amount and type of nitrogen (N) supplement on the digestion rate of forages different in quality. In Experiment 1, test substrates were incubated in polyester bags in the rumen of steers fed ryegrass, pangola grass, speargrass and Mitchell grass hays in a 4 by 4 Latin-square design. In Experiment 2, test substrates were incubated in polyester bags in the rumen of steers fed speargrass hay supplemented with urea and ammonium sulfate (US), branched-chain amino acids with US (USAA), casein, cottonseed meal, yeast and Chlorella algae in a 7 by 3 incomplete Latin-square design. In Experiment 3, test substrates were incubated in polyester bags in the rumen of steers fed Mitchell grass hay supplemented with increasing amounts of US or Spirulina algae (Spirulina platensis). The test substrates used in all experiments were speargrass, Mitchell grass, pangola grass or ryegrass hays. Digestion rate of the ryegrass substrate was higher than that of the speargrass substrate (P < 0.05) in Experiment 1. Supplementation with various N sources increased the degradation rate and effective degradability of all incubated substrates above that apparent in Control steers (P < 0.05; Experiment 2). Supplementation of US and Spirulina increased degradation rate and effective degradability of ryegrass, pangola grass and Mitchell grass substrates above that apparent in Control steers (P < 0.05; Experiment 3). However, there was no further response on digestion rate of the substrates in increasing supplementation levels either for US or Spirulina. In conclusion, rate of digestion was affected by forage physical and anatomical properties. Supplementation with various N sources increased rate of digestion when the Control forage ration was very low in N but once a minimum level of N supplementation was reached, irrespective of form of N or other potential growth factors, there was no further increase in rate of digestion.

Extended Storage of Autologous Apheresis Platelets (Plts) in Plasma and Plasmalyte.

Abstract 2108 Poster Board II-85 Background: The FDA has proposed that, at the end of storage, radiolabeled autologous plt recoveries and survivals should be 67% and 58% respectively, of the same donor's “fresh” plt recovery and survival results. Methods: Using 98 normal subjects, 3 different variables were evaluated to determine their effects on post-storage plt recoveries and survivals; i.e., storage solution (plasma and Plasmalyte), apheresis machine [Haemonetics MCS+ (H), Cobe Spectra (CS), or Cobe Trima (CT)], and storage bag (H, CS, or CT). Autologous plts were collected and either infused “fresh” or stored under the conditions of interest. The fresh and stored plts were alternately radiolabeled with either 51Cr or 111In prior to transfusion. Results: Plasma Storage. Both H and CS collected apheresis plts can be stored for 8 days and meet FDA requirements with no differences in post-storage plt recoveries or survivals between the 2 machines (see table). After 9 days of storage, 2 of 5 units (1 H and 1 CS) had pH's of <6.2, and these plts had recoveries of 36% and 26% and survivals of 1.1 and 0.9 days, respectively. Apheresis Machine Storage Time (Days) Storage Bag N PLATELET RECOVERY PLATELET SURVIVAL % % of “Fresh” Days % of “Fresh” Plt Storage In Plasma: H 8 H 10 52 ± 8 79 ± 16 5.3 ± 1.7 78 ± 16 CS 8 CS 10 54 ± 11 75 ± 8 4.7 ± 1.4 62 ± 22 Plt Storage In Plasmalyte: H 7 H 10 52 ± 10 ND 6.0 ± 0.9 ND CS 7 CS 15 47 ± 18* ND 4.3 ± 1.5* ND CT 7 CT 10 40 ± 15** 69 ± 21 5.0 ± 1.6** 64 ± 20 H 9 H 4 55 ± 11 82 ± 20 6.6 ± 1.2 93 ± 39 CS 9 CS 5 27 ± 16** ND 3.6 ± 1.9** ND CT 9 CT 9 32 ± 19*** 58 ± 35 3.7 ± 1.6*** 48 ± 23 CT 9 H 10 44 ± 13 78 ± 16 5.0 ± 0.7 59 ± 7 H 13 H 10 49 ± 10 73 ± 11 4.6 ± 1.0 69 ± 19 CS 13 CS 5 38 ± 10**** ND 2.6 ± 0.9**** ND CS 13 H 5 42 ± 14**** ND 4.6 ± 2.2**** ND Data reported as average ±1 S.D. * Four units had post-storage pH's of <6.0. ** One unit had a post-storage of pH <6.0. *** Two units had post-storage pH's of 6.1. One other unit had a pH of 6.0 and was not injected. **** CS apheresis plts were collected from 5 subjects, and half of the collection was stored in CS bags, and half in H bags. One collection had a pH <6.0 in both bags and was not injected. Plasmalyte Storage. For the H collections, the plts were elutriated using Plasmalyte instead of plasma, and, for the CS and CT collections, the plts were concentrated during collection and re-suspended in Plasmalyte. For all the collections, the final Plasmalyte concentration was 80% with 20% residual plasma. As shown in the table, H collected plts met FDA criteria for 13 days versus 7 days of storage for both CS (FDA criteria not directly tested) and CT collected plts. Even after 7 days of storage, H collected plts were significantly better than CS or CT collected plts with respect to survival (p=0.05), and, after 9 days of storage, H collected plts were significantly better than CS and CT collected plts for both recoveries (p=0.003) and survivals (p<0.001). Recoveries of CS collected plts were better than CT collected plts after 7 days of storage (p=0.01), but the rest of the CS and CT plt recovery and survival data at 7 and 9 days of storage were not different. To determine whether the better results achieved with H plts were because of the machine and/or the storage bag, experiments were performed storing CT or CS collected plts in H bags for 9 or 13 days, respectively. When stored in H bags versus CT bags, 9-day stored CT collected plts had better survivals (p=0.03). Again, CS collected plts stored for 13 days showed a trend for better survivals when stored in H versus CS bags. These data show that both the apheresis machine as well as the storage bag affect the results with the predominant effect being the storage bag. H bag is a ES 3049 PVC compound, and CS and CT bags are PVC with a citrate plasticizer. Low post-storage pH's were found at any storage interval for CS and CT collected plts mainly when stored in their respective bags. pH's <6.2 reduced recoveries by 29% points and survivals by 3.0 days. Therefore, all statistical comparisons between groups were adjusted for the effects of low pH. Conclusion: Apheresis plts can be stored in plasma for 8 days and meet FDA guidelines for plt viability with comparable results between machines and bags. Plt storage in Plasmalyte is effected by both the method of collection as well as the storage bag with the best results achieved with H plts stored in H bags. H plts stored in H bags meet FDA guidelines for 13 days of storage The importance of these results is that extended plt storage can be achieved by using the appropriate combination of storage solution, collection machine, and storage bag. Disclosures: Slichter: Gambro BCT: Research Funding. Off Label Use: Plasmalyte was used as a platelet storage solution.

Mitigation of seal-induced damage in salmon and whitefish trapnet fisheries by modification of the fish bag

During the past decade, seal-induced gear and catch damage has increased dramatically in the Baltic Sea. The problems are most severe in the coastal trapnet fisheries for salmon (Salmo salar) and whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus), where grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in particular frequently visit the traps. There is an acute need for gear modifications and other solutions that can prevent seals from entering the fish bag of the traps. Modifications that have been tested in Finland include a wire grid installed in the funnel of the trap and a fish bag made of extra-strong netting material. In comparative fishing experiments conducted in 2001 in the Gulf of Finland the grid was made of 2-mm steel wires with 175-mm spacing. The average undamaged salmon catch per haul in the fish bag of modified trapnets was significantly higher (70%) than that of traditional traps (Mann–Whitney, p < 0.01). In the whitefish experiments, the average undamaged catch of whitefish per haul was 16% higher in modified trapnets than in traditional traps, but the difference was not significant (Mann–Whitney, p > 0.05). These results indicate that the wire grid did not prevent fish from swimming into the fish bag. Experiments also suggest that the wire grid and the extra-strong netting prevented seals from entering the bag. However, on some occasions seals were able to tear the fish through the netting. Underwater observations confirmed that the wire grid kept adult seals outside the bag while salmon and whitefish could be seen entering through the grid into the bag.