The addition of aluminium salts to culture solutions and to soils will bring about certain changes; these may be summed up as follows:

1. A change in the hydrogen ion concentration, which will vary in amount with the original buffer properties of the solution or the soil.

2. A change in the buffer properties of the solution or the soil; the hydrogen in concentration of a culture solution containing an aluminium salt will tend to remain more constant than that of a normal culture solution during the period of growth of the plant, when both start at the same pH value.

3. Precipitation of soluble phosphate as aluminium phosphate except in solutions or soils more acid than pH 3·5 to 4·0; this might lead to phosphate starvation in water cultures but would have little or no effect in a soil, where the particles would remain accessible to the plant roots.

The ovaries from 251 cattle with known histories were dissected, and this work was linked with clinical and histopathological studies. In almost 20% of the cattle, resorption of corpora albicantia appeared to have taken place, beginning usually, after the fourth pregnancy. In 10% of cattle more corpora albicantia were found than corresponded with the normal pregnancies. Most such cases appeared to be associated with unrecognized ‘temporary pregnancies’, but normal pregnancy associated with two corpora lutea, as in the camel, may occur, though rarely. A scheme with correction factors, for allocating random samples to age categories, has been prepared. In 110 cattle, or 44%, miniature as well as full-sized corpora albicantia were recovered. Evidence from their histories is brought forward that the miniature corpora correspond to ‘temporary pregnancies’ of perhaps 2–5 months duration. This is cross-checked and confirmed, both from the histories of 112 cows yielding no miniature corpora, and also by correlation with the histopathological findings from the genitalia.

In the Journal of Agricultural Science for October 1921, Dr J. W. Capstick described a calorimeter large enough to take a full-grown pig or a small bullock. This apparatus was in regular use up to the end of 1923 and proved, on the whole, quite satisfactory.

1. Eighty counts of soil bacteria and actinomycetes, made on mannite-asparagine agar and dextrose-casein agar, showed that the latter medium gave significantly higher numbers of bacteria in 76 per cent. of cases, and significantly higher numbers of actinomycetes in 60 per cent. of cases.

2. On mannite-asparagine agar the values of χ2 of the bacterial counts were as a whole in agreement with expectation. The counts of actinomycetes colonies on this medium showed a tendency to subnormal variation.

It has been shown that the pigment in silage is phaeophytin, the magnesium-free derivative of chlorophyll. It is produced from chlorophyll by the action of carbonic acid and organic acids developed during fermentation in the silo.

The seeds of a dwarf variety of pigeon pea (cv. Cita-1) were sown at 2, 4, 6 or 8 cm depths in three field trials in 1981 and 1982, in order to evaluate the effect of sowing depth on seedling emergence and the subsequent growth, development and yield of the crop.

In all trials, sowing pigeon-pea seeds deeper than 4 cm led to 1–2 days delay in seedling emergence, resulted in only 40–68% seedling emergence, reduced the development of the various growth and yield characters of the plant and significantly reduced seed yield. In two trials, plants from 4 cm sowing performed better than those from 2cm sowing in terms of development of growth and yield characters indicating that shallow sowing of pigeon pea prevents rapid and proper plant establishment.

The results therefore indicate that the optimum sowing depth for pigeon pea is 4 cm under the prevailing lowland humid tropical conditions.

The newer knowledge of nutrition shows that cereals and seed products are deficient in calcium, sodium, chlorine, and unknown substances, called fat-soluble A and water-soluble B sometimes referred to as “vitamines” or “accessory food factors.”

McCollum(1) in America, has gone the length of proving bj actual experiment that cows and their calves can be raised to perfection on nothing but the complete maize plant, although maize grain is well known as a very incomplete food. In spite of his demonstration, and in spite of the obvious fact that nothing could be more like grass than an entire cereal plant and therefore suited to herbivora, very few practical or theoretical agriculturists recognise that straw is the most likely thing in the world to correct for the deficiencies of grain feeding. The difficulty is to get straw that is eatable. The practical farmer, when he happens to get a good sample, accepts it as a gift of fate and is content to turn it into profit for himself as soon as he can. The object of the enquiry, or rather the series of enquiries of which this forms a part, is to adopt the more scientific mode of procedure and endeavour to find out what differences of feeding value naturally occur in oat straw, and which of the conditions needed for high feeding value could be repeated at will, and what light such investigation threw on the old question of why farmers in some districts can fatten cattle on swedes and straw whilst in other districts it is found impossible. Oat straw is plentiful in this country and is probably well supplied with the so-called food accessories, that is the things that the grains lack; the problem at issue is how to get more of the eatable kind and less of the uneatable kind. Provided that the straw is eaten in fair quantity, the possible diminution of growth power, by partial destruction of vitamines due to keeping straw in the stack, is of no practical importance because of the large amount of the straw.

Current means of improving the efficiency of beef production in the United Kingdom include the use of hormonal anabolic compounds and the feed additive monensin sodium (monensin, ‘Romensin’, Elanco). Results from studies conducted mainly in the United States have shown that monensin may improve food conversion efficiency (e.g. Broome, 1980) which occurs as a result of variable reductions in food intake with or without increases in growth rate. These effects have been associated with alterations in the production of volatile fatty acids and methane in the rumen. Other studies have suggested that protein metabolism may also be affected (e.g. Pendlum, Boling & Bradley, 1980).

1. Plants of S.48 timothy were established on a 1 ft square pattern for production of seed. Two series of plots, one irrigated and one not irrigated, were treated with three levels of applied nitrogen: 0 (NO), 87 (Nl) and 261 (N2) lb N per acre (0, 97·5 and 292·5 kg N/ha) per annum, for 3 years. In this, the first of two papers, only vegetative aspects of growth are considered. Since the irrigation treatment started only 2 weeks before most of the data were recorded, effects of irrigation on vegetative growth were generally small.

2. The number of tillers per plant was increased by application of nitrogen; the lower increment was more effective than the additional nitrogen in the higher dose.

3. The weight of tillers per plant was increased by nitrogen at both levels of application. The mean weight of each tiller was increased by nitrogen after the first year, predominantly in the N 2 treatment. In the second year, irrigation also increased the weight per tiller.

4. The weight of roots per plant was significantly affected by application of nitrogen. In the first year, the weight was increased by nitrogen in irrigated plots; in the second year the roots were significantly heavier in the Nl treatment than in N0 and N2 treatments, where weights were similar; the same situation existed in irrigated plots in the third year, but in non-irrigated plots the weights of roots were similar in N1 and N2 treatments and were heavier than in the N0 treatment. Irrigation had positive effects on the weight of roots in the first and second years.

The results on the influence of growing various crops in five fixed annual sequences on the changes in available and total phosphorus and potassium content of a Tolewal sandy loam (Typic Ustipsamment) are reported. The available phosphorus content showed an increase in each of the five crop rotations after completion of two cycles. The maximum increase was observed in groundnut-based cropping sequences whereas the increase under the other three rotations was more or less of the same order. A slight decrease in the available P content during the 3rd year was observed after the harvest of bajra in a bajra fodder–potato–wheat sequence which was replenished after the harvest of potato and wheat. Total P content of the soil also showed an increase in all five rotations after completion of two cycles. A decrease in total P content of the soil was also observed after the bajra harvest. Balance sheet of P indicated net gain of P in all five crop rotations and the maximum gain of 62 kg P/ha was observed in the maize–wheat–moong rotation. Theavailable K status of the soil showed an increase in each of the five cropping sequences after completion of two cycles. The available K status after harvest of various crops in the rotation could not fully explain the dynamics of K availability. The total soil K content indicated a negative K balance in each of the five crop rotations after completion of three cycles and the maximum negative balance occurred in a maize–wheat–moong sequence. The negative K balance was related to the amount of fertilizer K added and that removed by the crops. The results suggested the need for modifying the existing K fertilizer recommendations to compensate gradual loss of native K soil fertility.

This paper reviews extensive work at Jealott's Hill and elsewhere in England and Wales on the agronomic effects of including various levels of urea in 2:1:1 NPK fertilizers combine-drilled with spring cereals.

Little evidence of phytotoxicity was found with fertilizers containing up to 12% urea and providing about 0·6 cwt N/acre. The inclusion of 20% urea reduced braird more frequently on soils of high pH than did lower proportions although grain yields were seldom affected adversely. Such soils are not uncommon, especially in the barleygrowing areas of Southern and Eastern England, where perhaps a quarter of the cereal acreage may be located on soils of pH 7·7 and above.

The absolute and relative growth of the liver, kidney, heart and lung-and-trachea were studied for 64 female, 64 castrated male and 64 intact male indigenous Nigerian pigs between birth and 672 days of age. Highly significant (P < 0·001) sex and age influences were obtained for the absolute and relative weights of the liver, kidney and heart. At 280 days of age, the four organs on average weighed 28 times their birth values; the terminal weights averaged 1·31 times their values at 280 days. Organ growth became stabilized after 280 days.

The allometric equation: Y = aXb, transformed to its linear form log Y = log a + b log X, was employed to examine the relationship between organ weight and body weight. The growth coefficients 6 obtained ranged from 0·787 for kidney to 0·850 for lung-and-trachea and were similar to values reported in the literature. The accompanying highly significant R2 values strongly indicate that the functions of these organs are related to overall metabolism, which in turn is strongly dependent on body size.

The live-weight gain, efficiency of food conversion, energy and nitrogen accretion as edible carcass, and the forestomaeh development were measured in three groups of calves fed for 10 weeks (days 19–89 of life) either a diet of 4·5 1 of milk daily, or a concentrate meal containing 4% sodium propionate ad libitum, or a concentrate meal ad libitum. All groups had access to lucerne chaff and water ad libitum.

The mean live-weight gains of the three groups of calves were 47·5, 36·6 and 37·1 kg respectively even though their total energy and nitrogen intakes were not significantly different. The provision of dietary propionate did not improve the efficiency of food conversion or of energy or nitrogen accretion as the calves ate less of the meal containing propionate and more lucerne chaff. The differences in live-weight gain could be accounted for by the differences in carcass weight. Associated with the higher live-weight gain was a much higher efficiency of food utilization and of edible carcass energy and nitrogen accretion. The superior efficiency of the unweaned calves was concluded to be due to the liquid portion of the diet by-passing the rumeno-reticulum into the abomasum where the efficiency of utilization of highly digestible protein and carbohydrate is greater. The concentrate plus propionate fed calves ate less concentrate but more chaff and had a lower efficiency of food utilization and edible carcass energy accretion than the other weaned group of calves.

The weight of rumeno-reticular tissues was greater in the weaned than in the unweaned calves, although the meal plus propionate group ate similar quantities of chaff to the unweaned group. In all groups, the degree of papillary development was related to the intake of concentrates plus roughage. The most appropriate manner to describe ruminal tissue weight is discussed.

In breeding programmes, the genetic selection process is based on the prediction of animal breeding values, and its results may vary according to the employed selection method. The current study developed an economic selection index for animals of the Angus breed; performed cluster analyses using the breeding values in order to evaluate the genetic profile of the animals candidates to selection, and compared the obtained results between the economic selection index and the cluster analyses. The evaluated traits included weaning weight, 18-month weight, scrotal circumference, fat thickness and ribeye area. Economic values were obtained using bioeconomic modelling, simulating a complete cycle production system of beef cattle breeds in Brazil, and the selection objective were the weaning rate and slaughter weight. The chosen selection index was composed of all of the traits used as selection criteria for the simulated production system. During the cluster analyses, the population was divided into two to four groups, in which the groupings containing potential animals were assessed. The animals of the grouping which was used for comparison with the selection index were identified, and most of the bulls that were included in the index were among the best in the analysed group. These results suggest that the cluster analyses can be used as a tool for the selection of animals to be used as parents for future generations.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different irrigation levels and different tillage and sowing methods on the amount of irrigation water, evapotranspiration, water productivity (WP) and yield in the second crop soybean in Çukurova Region, Turkey. Three irrigation levels were applied (I100: completion to the field capacity of the available water of 60 cm soil depth weekly. I70: 70% of the water applied to I100, I50: 50% of the water applied to I100), five tillage and sowing methods were used (T1: traditional soil tillage, T2: reduced soil tillage, T3: reduced soil tillage, T4: ridge tillage, T5: no-tillage). The research was carried out in a randomized block split-plot design with three replications. The result of, the highest yield was obtained in I100xT1 with 4990 kg/ha, while the lowest yield was obtained in I50xT3 with 3150 kg/ha in irrigation x tillage interactions. When the water consumption values of plants were analysed, the highest was obtained with 632 mm I100 and the lowest with 399 mm I50. When WP values were analysed, the highest was obtained with 8.7 in I50 and the lowest in 6.6 and I100. As a result, full irrigation and direct sowing methods (I100T1) are recommended in soybean cultivation considering the highest water-yield relationship in the Mediterranean Region.

The objective of the present study was to present the theory and application of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) in reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS). Seven progeny tests from two RRS programmes with popcorn (Zea mays L. ssp. mays [syn. Zea mays L. ssp. everta (Sturtev.) Zhuk.]) populations were conducted and analysed for expansion volume and grain yield. The interpopulation half- and full-sib family models were fitted using ASReml software. Half-sib selection is equivalent to selection for the general combining ability (GCA) of the common parents. With inbred full-sib progeny and BLUP analysis, it is possible to predict the general and specific combining ability effects. The standard error of prediction of the progeny effect was lower than the standard deviation of the best linear unbiased estimation (BLUE) estimate. For half- and full-sib RRS, the BLUE and BLUP provided highly correlated estimates of progeny genotypic values. The coincidence between selected parents ranged from 64 to 95%. With inbred full-sib progeny, the correlations between the BLUE of progeny genotypic values and the BLUP of GCA effects were lower. Consequently, the coincidence between selected parents was lower, ranging from 0 to 57%. The percentage of common selected inbred progeny based on the BLUE and BLUP of the progeny genotypic value ranged from 57 to 100%.

Copy number variation (CNV) is a very common type of gene variation with high frequency. In recent years, CNV has been paid more attention in various fields, especially in livestock and poultry breeding, which has promoted the progress of breeding. WW domain binding protein 1-like (WBP1L) is a protein coding gene, which plays an important role in cattle populations, and its function has been extensively studied, but it is not clear whether the copy number of the gene can affect the growth and development of cattle populations. In this study, CNV of WBP1L gene was detected in 732 cattle of seven breeds (Qinchuan cattle, QC; Pinan cattle, PN; Yuengling cattle, YL; Xianan cattle, XN; Jiaxian cattle, JX; natural Guyuan cattle, NGY; Jian cattle, JA). In addition, the relationship between CNV and growth phenotype of cattle was studied. The experimental data indicate that the copy number of WBP1L was obviously correlated with heart girth of PN cattle (**P < 0.01), rump length (RL) and body weight (BW) of PN cattle (*P < 0.05), withers height (WH), RL, body length, chest depth and BW of JX cattle (*P < 0.05), WH of NGY cattle (*P < 0.05) and WH of JA cattle (*P < 0.05). It was proved that CNV of WBP1L gene could be used as molecular marker locus for genetic breeding of the above four cattle breeds.

The control effect of Cucurbita ficifolia (pumpkin) leaf acetone extract on caterpillars of the small cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) was observed in laboratory and field experiments from 1 March 2006 to 30 May 2007. The mechanism of the action by which pumpkin leaf extract (PLE) controls small cabbage caterpillars was examined for feeding restraint, and the values for 0·50 feeding restraint concentration (FC50) and 0·95 feeding restraint concentration (FC95) after 12 and 24 h were estimated. The results showed that the absolute anti-feeding activity for fourth instar caterpillars after 12 h was 0·65 and after 24 h was 0·56, while relative anti-feeding activity was 0·57 after 12 h and 0·59 after 24 h. Field experimental results indicated that the leaf protection effects increased up to day 7, while the feeding control effects remained constant. Comparison of the profits from pest management using indigenous pesticides, biological pesticides and chemical pesticides and without pest management suggested that there are currently economic benefits associated with the use of indigenous pesticides, such as PLE.

To clarify the reproduction probability of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in meadows for herbage cutting, the demography of this legume was studied in a meadow in the central mountainous district of Japan. The present study shows the demography of deposited red clover seeds in a meadow, where timothy (Phleum pratense L.) predominated and herbage had been harvested for making hay or silage in early June and late August of a year. The densities of deposited seeds, buried seeds and seedlings were monitored to determine their survival. Deposited seeds were collected using seed traps, buried seeds were monitored seasonally by sampling them from topsoil and seedlings were counted in ten permanent 1×1 m quadrats. Many permeable and hard seeds of red clover were deposited on the soil surface of the meadow during the mechanical operation of the second haymaking in mid- to late August. Of the population of deposited permeable seeds, 0·16 germinated and 0·84 were lost in the present autumn. Conversely, of the population of deposited hard seeds, 0·11 germinated in the succeeding spring, 0·83 were lost and 0·06 remained as hard seeds until the succeeding autumn. The deposited permeable and hard seeds could contribute to the persistence of red clover population when their seedlings survived for seed setting in the meadow.