White clover regenerative ability under N fertilizing and grazing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josip Leto

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Recently, ecological and economic factors in milk and meat production stimulate use of legumes and grass-legumes mixtures, with zero or minimum mineral N as alternative to grass monoculture with high rate of mineral N. Research objective was to examine the effect of N application (0-N0 and 150 kg ha-1 year-1-N150 and rotational grazing by cattle (C and sheep (S on white clover: growing points number, stolon lenght, stolon dry weight, dry matter yield and clover contribution to total annual herbage production. N150 significantly reduced the growing points number, stolon length and stolon dry weight for more than 70 % compared to N0. Grazing treatment affected stolon population density only in interaction with N application because of N150 significantly reduced white clover population density only in sheep grazing. S-treatment had higher clover DM yield (0.21 t ha-1 than C-treatment (0.13 t ha-1. N0 had higher clover DM yield (0.25 t ha-1 than N150 (0.09 t ha-1. However, the interaction grazing management x N rate was significant for clover DM yield and clover contribution to total DM yield. N150 reduced both parameters for 80 % only in sheep grazing while difference in DM yield and clover contribution to total DM yield between grazing treatment was recorded only in N0 Sheep grazing increased DM yield for 150 % and clover contribution for 99 % compared to cattle grazing.

Use of inorganic and organic compounds as decontaminates for cobalt T-60 and cesium-134 by clover plant grown on Inshas Sandy soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Sabour, M.F.; El-naggr, H.A.; Soliman, S.M.

1994-01-01

Out door lysimeter experiment was carried out to elucidate the effect of four inorganic and three organic salts on 60 Co and 134 Cs uptake and dry matter yield of three cuts of clover in the soil Inshas A new concept was proposed for assessing the difference in capacity of soil to supply radionuclides (i.e. 60 Co and 134 Cs) to plants as affected by applied inorganic or organic compounds. The relation of plant tissues (P c ) Co/IR Cs content with increasing time can be expressed as log (Pc) = A + B log time (T), where A and B the regression. When the same plant species is grown on the same soil differ only in the applied compound (e.g. Fe-EDDHA, Fe-DTPA, Fe-O A C, Fe(Coo)z, A1(OH)3, Ca(H2 P O 4 )2 and Fe 2 O 3 ) the equation will change to, log (P'c) = A + B' log (T) (I). Based on both equations, the relationship between (Pc) becomes; log (P'c) = [(A'B')/(A B + A B ) [ +[1/A'B + A B ) [ log (Pc) (II). The intercept (C) and slope (S) in Eq. (II) were determined among 7 treatments (for either 60 Co or 134 Cs). Then the difference of either Co or Cs accumulation with time between control and any other treatment was evaluated according to (C) and (S) values. The data also that Fe-DTPA is preferred for 60 Co as enhancing compound for plant uptake (for decontamination use); compared with other applied salts; on the other hand, any tested salts did not significantly effect 134 Cs taken by clover. Also, it was found that more than 70% of total cobalt uptake was accumulated in the roots which indicate that Co is less mobile in plants than Cs. 3 figs., 4 tabs

Measurements on a prototype segmented Clover detector

CERN Document Server

Shepherd, S L; Cullen, D M; Appelbe, D E; Simpson, J; Gerl, J; Kaspar, M; Kleinböhl, A; Peter, I; Rejmund, M; Schaffner, H; Schlegel, C; France, G D

1999-01-01

The performance of a segmented Clover germanium detector has been measured. The segmented Clover detector is a composite germanium detector, consisting of four individual germanium crystals in the configuration of a four-leaf Clover, housed in a single cryostat. Each crystal is electrically segmented on its outer surface into four quadrants, with separate energy read-outs from nine crystal zones. Signals are also taken from the inner contact of each crystal. This effectively produces a detector with 16 active elements. One of the purposes of this segmentation is to improve the overall spectral resolution when detecting gamma radiation emitted following a nuclear reaction, by minimising Doppler broadening caused by the opening angle subtended by each detector element. Results of the tests with sources and in beam will be presented. The improved granularity of the detector also leads to an improved isolated hit probability compared with an unsegmented Clover detector. (author)

Predicting Dry Matter Composition of Clover Grass Leys Using Data Simulation and Camera-based Segmentation of Field Canopies into White Clover, Red Clover, Grass and Weeds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skovsen, Søren; Dyrmann, Mads; Eriksen, Jørgen

2018-01-01

species in the biomass. In our setup, we exploit the top-down canopy view of the clover grass ley to estimate the volumetric composition of the yield, and predict the composition of the dry matter of the forage. Using a deep learning approach, the canopy image is automatically pixel-wise segmented....... The biggest hindrance to training a fully convolutional deep neural network is the requirement of labeled data. Due to the complexity, the high number of leaves and high levels of occlusions in clover grass canopies, hand labeling the data requires roughly 20 hours of manual labor per image. The need...... for hundreds or thousands labeled training images renders this approach unfeasible. We have shown that implementation of image simulation of distinct clover grass fields can reduce the labeling task significantly. Investing less than 20 hours of labor, thousands of simulated images and corresponding labels can...

Modeling of clover detector in addback mode

Science.gov (United States)

Kshetri, R.

2012-07-01

Based on absorption and scattering of gamma-rays, a formalism has been presented for modeling the clover germanium detector in addback mode and to predict its response for high energy γ-rays. In the present formalism, the operation of a bare clover detector could be described in terms of three quantities only. Considering an additional parameter, the formalism could be extended for suppressed clover. Using experimental data on relative single crystal efficiency and addback factor as input, the peak-to-total ratio has been calculated for three energies (Eγ = 3.401, 5.324 and 10.430 MeV) where direct measurement of peak-to-total ratio is impossible due to absence of a radioactive source having single monoenergetic gamma-ray of that energy. The experimental validation and consistency of the formalism have been shown considering data for TIGRESS clover detector. In a recent work (R. Kshetri, JINST 2012 7 P04008), we showed that for a given γ-ray energy, the formalism could be used to predict the peak-to-total ratio as a function of number of detector modules. In the present paper, we have shown that for a given composite detector (clover detector is considered here), the formalism could be used to predict the peak-to-total ratio as a function of γ-ray energy.

Modeling of clover detector in addback mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kshetri, R

2012-01-01

Based on absorption and scattering of gamma-rays, a formalism has been presented for modeling the clover germanium detector in addback mode and to predict its response for high energy γ-rays. In the present formalism, the operation of a bare clover detector could be described in terms of three quantities only. Considering an additional parameter, the formalism could be extended for suppressed clover. Using experimental data on relative single crystal efficiency and addback factor as input, the peak-to-total ratio has been calculated for three energies (E γ = 3.401, 5.324 and 10.430 MeV) where direct measurement of peak-to-total ratio is impossible due to absence of a radioactive source having single monoenergetic gamma-ray of that energy. The experimental validation and consistency of the formalism have been shown considering data for TIGRESS clover detector. In a recent work (R. Kshetri, JINST 2012 7 P04008), we showed that for a given γ-ray energy, the formalism could be used to predict the peak-to-total ratio as a function of number of detector modules. In the present paper, we have shown that for a given composite detector (clover detector is considered here), the formalism could be used to predict the peak-to-total ratio as a function of γ-ray energy.

Antimicrobial activity of actinobacteria isolated from the guts of subterranean termites

Science.gov (United States)

Rachel Arango; C. M. Carlson; C. R. Currie; B. R. McDonald; A. J. Book; Frederick Green; K. F. Raffa; N.K. Lebow

2016-01-01

Subterranean termites need to minimize potentially pathogenic and competitive fungi in their environment in order to maintain colony health. We examined the ability of Actinobacteria isolated from termite guts in suppressing microorganisms commonly encountered in a subterranean environment. Guts from two subterranean termite species, Reticulitermes flavipes...

Complementary effects of red clover inclusion in ryegrass-white clover swards for grazing and cutting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Jørgen; Askegaard, Margrethe; Søegaard, Karen

2014-01-01

Increasing plant species diversity in grasslands may improve productivity and stability of yields. In a field experiment, we investigated the herbage dry-matter (DM) yield and crude protein content of two-species swards of perennial ryegrass–white clover (Lolium perenne L.–Trifolium repens L...... clover in sown swards are discussed. These may include higher nitrogen-use efficiency in ruminants, increased soil fertility and improved sward flexibility to cope with changing managements. The findings also suggest positive yield effects of alternating between cutting and grazing within the season...

A first principle approach for clover detector

Science.gov (United States)

Kshetri, R.

2012-08-01

A simple model based on probability flow arguments has been presented for understanding the clover germanium detector. Using basic concepts of absorption and scattering of gamma-rays, the operation of the clover detector has been described in terms of six probability amplitudes and a parameter. Instead of using an empirical method or simulation, this work presents the first attempt to calculate the peak-to-total and peak-to-background ratios of the clover detector using experimental data of relative single crystal efficiency and addback factor as an input. A unique feature of our approach is that these ratios could be calculated for energies where their direct measurement is impossible due to absence of a radioactive source having single monoenergetic gamma-ray of that energy. Results for four gamma-ray energies (Eγ = 1.408, 3.907, 7.029 and 10.430 MeV) have been discussed. Agreement between experimental data and analysis results has been observed. The present approach could describe clover-type detectors as well. As an example, the nine element detector has been considered. We have demonstrated that our formalism can describe both finite and infinite interactions of γ-rays with the clover crystals. The work presented in this paper follows similar philosophy as presented in a recent paper (R. Kshetri, JInst 2012 7 P04008), which deals with modeling of encapsulated type composite detectors like miniball, cluster and SPI (Spectrometer for INTEGRAL satellite).

A first principle approach for clover detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kshetri, R

2012-01-01

A simple model based on probability flow arguments has been presented for understanding the clover germanium detector. Using basic concepts of absorption and scattering of gamma-rays, the operation of the clover detector has been described in terms of six probability amplitudes and a parameter. Instead of using an empirical method or simulation, this work presents the first attempt to calculate the peak-to-total and peak-to-background ratios of the clover detector using experimental data of relative single crystal efficiency and addback factor as an input. A unique feature of our approach is that these ratios could be calculated for energies where their direct measurement is impossible due to absence of a radioactive source having single monoenergetic gamma-ray of that energy. Results for four gamma-ray energies (E γ = 1.408, 3.907, 7.029 and 10.430 MeV) have been discussed. Agreement between experimental data and analysis results has been observed. The present approach could describe clover-type detectors as well. As an example, the nine element detector has been considered. We have demonstrated that our formalism can describe both finite and infinite interactions of γ-rays with the clover crystals. The work presented in this paper follows similar philosophy as presented in a recent paper (R. Kshetri, JInst 2012 7 P04008), which deals with modeling of encapsulated type composite detectors like miniball, cluster and SPI (Spectrometer for INTEGRAL satellite).

Arbuscular mycorrhiza enhanced arsenic resistance of both white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plants in an arsenic-contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong Yan; Zhu Yongguan [Department of Soil Environmental Science, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing 100085 (China); Smith, F. Andrew [Soil and Land Systems, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005 (Australia); Wang Youshan [Institute of Plant Nutrition and Resources, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Beijing 100089 (China); Chen Baodong [Department of Soil Environmental Science, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing 100085 (China)], E-mail: bdchen@rcees.ac.cn

2008-09-15

In a compartmented cultivation system, white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), with their roots freely intermingled, or separated by 37 {mu}m nylon mesh or plastic board, were grown together in an arsenic (As) contaminated soil. The influence of AM inoculation on plant growth, As uptake, phosphorus (P) nutrition, and plant competitions were investigated. Results showed that both plant species highly depended on mycorrhizas for surviving the As contamination. Mycorrhizal inoculation substantially improved plant P nutrition, and in contrast markedly decreased root to shoot As translocation and shoot As concentrations. It also showed that mycorrhizas affected the competition between the two co-existing plant species, preferentially benefiting the clover plants in term of nutrient acquisition and biomass production. Based on the present study, the role of AM fungi in plant adaptation to As contamination, and their potential use for ecological restoration of As contaminated soils are discussed. - Both white clover and ryegrass highly depend on the mycorrhizal associations for surviving heavy arsenic contamination.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza enhanced arsenic resistance of both white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plants in an arsenic-contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Yan; Zhu Yongguan; Smith, F. Andrew; Wang Youshan; Chen Baodong

2008-01-01

In a compartmented cultivation system, white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), with their roots freely intermingled, or separated by 37 μm nylon mesh or plastic board, were grown together in an arsenic (As) contaminated soil. The influence of AM inoculation on plant growth, As uptake, phosphorus (P) nutrition, and plant competitions were investigated. Results showed that both plant species highly depended on mycorrhizas for surviving the As contamination. Mycorrhizal inoculation substantially improved plant P nutrition, and in contrast markedly decreased root to shoot As translocation and shoot As concentrations. It also showed that mycorrhizas affected the competition between the two co-existing plant species, preferentially benefiting the clover plants in term of nutrient acquisition and biomass production. Based on the present study, the role of AM fungi in plant adaptation to As contamination, and their potential use for ecological restoration of As contaminated soils are discussed. - Both white clover and ryegrass highly depend on the mycorrhizal associations for surviving heavy arsenic contamination

Non-perturbative improvement of stout-smeared three flavour clover fermions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cundy, N.; Goeckeler, M. [Regensburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Horsley, R. [Edinburgh Univ. (GB). School of Physics and Astronomy] (and others)

2009-01-15

We discuss a 3-flavour lattice QCD action with clover improvement in which the fermion matrix has single level stout smearing for the hopping terms together with unsmeared links for the clover term. With the (tree-level) Symanzik improved gluon action this constitutes the Stout Link Non-perturbative Clover or SLiNC action. To cancel O(a) terms the clover term coefficient has to be tuned. We present here results of a non-perturbative determination of this coefficient using the Schroedinger functional and as a by-product a determination of the critical hopping parameter. Comparisons of the results are made with lowest order perturbation theory. (orig.)

Impact on Clover-Grass Yield from Wheel Load and Tyre Pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Ole; Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm; Sørensen, Claus Aage Grøn

2009-01-01

Traffic intensities have been shown to have a negative influence on the yield of grass and clover. A full scale grass-clover field trial was established to estimate the effect on clover-grass yields as a function of different wheel loads and tire pressures. The trial comprised 16 different traffi...

Sources of N2O in organic grass-clover pastures

OpenAIRE

Ambus, P.

2002-01-01

Organic farming practises, and in particular dairy production systems based on grass-clover pastures are becoming increasingly abundant within Danish agriculture. Grass-clover pastures may provide a mitigation option to reduce grassland nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (Velthof et al. 1998). The objectives of this work was to examine the relationship between N2O emissions and transformations of inorganic N in organically managed grass-clover pastures of different ages. Results from the projec...

Application of various technological processes in red clover seed processing

OpenAIRE

Đokić, Dragoslav; Stanisavljević, Rade; Terzić, Dragan; Marković, Jordan; Radivojević, Gordana; Anđelković, Bojan; Barać, Saša

2012-01-01

This paper presents the results of the processing of natural red clover seed on the processing equipment using different technological methods. Red clover seed, for the establishment and crop utilization, must be of high purity, germination, and high genetic values. These requirements are achieved by processing, or removing impurities and poor quality seeds. Red clover seed processing involves a number of operations, of which the most important are: cleaning, packaging, labeling and storage. ...

New uses of clover-grass mixtures in the structure of fodder crops on arable land

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Sláma

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The use of clover-grasses in the structure of fodder crops grown on arable soil, especially those with intergeneric hybrids as the main component part, could avert the negative current trend, i.e. further decreasing the area of perennial fodder plants or fodder crops as a whole on arable soil. They have an irreplaceable role in crop sequences and in preserving the cultural character of the countryside, above all due to the fact that they improve soil fertility and microbial life in the soil and that they have an excellent pre-produce value, and, at the same time, they are applied in various farming systems (both conventional and ecological and in various climatic conditions, and agricultural businesses are well equipped for growing, harvesting and storing them. In the Czech Republic, the area of fodder crops grown on arable soil was decreased from 1,019.9 thousand hectares to mere 396.7 thousand hectares between 1980 and 2009, which is 15.6 % of the total area of arable soil whereas perennial fodder plants only take up 8.5 %. Fodder from clover crops and clover-grass growths on arable soil are one of the main resources of voluminous fodder for dairy cows. Most of this fodder is preserved through a fermentation process (silages, hay storage; a smaller part is fed as fresh fodder, or serves for production of hay. Silages made with perennial fodder plants are the most important source of both proteins and other nutrients for ruminants, especially for high-yielding milch cows. The basis of fodder production systems are the conservative elements of the landscape area (geomorphology in combination with the progressive elements (weather conditions, plants and human labour and relict ones, the representative of which is the soil. The fodder production systems in Europe are divided into five main fodder production zones. From this point of view, the areas where short-term clover-grass mixtures are grown on arable soil could be classed with Zone 4, i

Development of manganese toxicity in pasture legumes under extreme climatic conditions. [Trifolium subterraneum; Medicago sativa; Brassica campestris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siman, A; Cradock, F W; Hudson, A W

1974-08-01

Manganese levels and pH in soil were measured on limed and unlimed plots at bi-monthly intervals for two years at five field sites with lucerne (Medicago sativa) and subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) and related to rainfall and temperature. Pot experiments with lucerne, subterranean clover and rape (Brassica campestris) were used to confirm the results of the field experiments. Manganese toxicity developed in lucerne and subterranean clover under waterlogged conditions after heavy rain on the slightly acid soils (pH 4.7-5.5). Lucerne also showed manganese toxicity on the same soils in summer after extended hot, dry conditions. The maximum available manganese was 210 ..mu..g/g in the waterlogged soil (0-15 cm) the 128 ..mu..g/g in the heat affected soil. Lime treatment of 2240 kg/ha reduced the maximum available manganese to 148 ..mu..g/g in waterlogged plots and to 47 ..mu..g/g in the heat affected plots but failed to correct manganese toxicity. However, lime corrected toxicity symptoms under less severe conditions. In the pot experiments, available manganese reached 270 ..mu..g/g after 2 weeks artificial waterlogging and 68 ..mu..g/g after 2 weeks dry heat exposure. 12 references, 4 figures, 3 tables.

Reduction in clover-grass yield caused by different traffic intensities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Ole; Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm; Kristensen, Kristian

Different traffic intensities have been shown to have a negative influence on the yield of grass and clover. A full scale grass-clover field trial was established to estimate the effect on clover-grass yields as a function of different wheel loads and tire pressures. The trial comprised 16...... close to the north, south and east border of the field. No significant interactions were found between the timing of crop and soil damage as affected by wheel load and tire pressure. However, at specific times, there was a significant effect of wheel load and secondary by the tire pressure. At all...... measurement times, the yield was lower using a wheel load of 4745 kg than for a wheel load of 2865 kg.     Key words (for Electronic Reference Library) Traffic intensities, tire load/pressure, clover/grass, yield loss, ...

Clover, Red (Trifolium pretense)

Science.gov (United States)

Genetic modification of plants by the insertion of transgenes can be a powerful experimental approach to answer basic questions about gene product function. This technology can also be used to make improved crop varieties for use in the field. To apply this powerful tool to red clover, an important ...

Currency Demand, the Subterranean Economy and Tax Evasion: The Case of Tanzania

OpenAIRE

EPAPHRA, Manamba; JILENGA, Moga Tano

2017-01-01

Abstract. This paper estimates the magnitude of, and changes to the subterranean economy in Tanzania, as well as its adverse effect on tax revenue during the 1966-2015 period. To achieve this objective, the paper applies currency -ratio due to Gutmann and the traditional currency-demand approach à la Tanzi. Despite their differences, both approaches suggest the existence of a substantial size of the subterranean economy in Tanzania. This persistent large size of the subterranean economy is an...

Isolation of Burkholderia cepacia JB12 from lead- and cadmium-contaminated soil and its potential in promoting phytoremediation with tall fescue and red clover.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Zhong Min; Sha, Wei; Zhang, Yan Fu; Zhao, Jing; Ji, Hongyang

2013-07-01

Phytoremediation combined with suitable microorganisms and biodegradable chelating agents can be a means of reclaiming lands contaminated by toxic heavy metals. We investigated the ability of a lead- and cadmium-resistant bacterial strain (JB12) and the biodegradable chelator ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS) to improve absorption of these metals from soil by tall fescue and red clover. Strain JB12 was isolated from contaminated soil samples, analysed for lead and cadmium resistance, and identified as Burkholderia cepacia. Tall fescue and red clover were grown in pots to which we added JB12, (S,S)-EDDS, combined JB12 and EDDS, or water only. Compared with untreated plants, the biomass of plants treated with JB12 was significantly increased. Concentrations of lead and cadmium in JB12-treated plants increased significantly, with few exceptions. Plants treated with EDDS responded variably, but in those treated with combined EDDS and JB12, heavy metal concentrations increased significantly in tall fescue and in the aboveground parts of red clover. We conclude that JB12 is resistant to lead and cadmium. Its application to the soil improved the net uptake of these heavy metals by experimental plants. The potential for viable phytoremediation of lead- and cadmium-polluted soils with tall fescue and red clover combined with JB12 was further enhanced by the addition of EDDS.

Estimating grass-clover ratio variations caused by traffic intensities using image analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm; Sørensen, Claus Grøn; Green, Ole

Grass and especially clover have a negative yield response as a function of  traffic intensity.  Conventional grass-clover production for silage have high traffic intensity due to fertilizing with slurry, cutting the grass, rolling the grass into swaths, and collecting and chopping the grass...... to fulfill the aim [1]http://www.ruralni.gov.uk/index/publications/press_articles/dairy-2/role-of-clover.htm...

( Voandze subterranean ) and pigeon pea

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Formulation and evaluation of complementary food based on bambara nut ( Voandze subterranean ) and pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan ) ... Nigerian Journal of Nutritional Sciences ... Objectives: The study formulated and evaluated complementary food made from composites of maize, bambara nut and pigeon pea. Materials ...

In situ carbon and nitrogen dynamics in ryegrass-clover mixtures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, J.; Eriksen, J.; Jensen, Erik Steen

2007-01-01

=9). 15N-enriched compounds were not detected in percolating pore water, which may be caused by either dilution from irrigation or low availability of leachable N compounds. 14C was found solely as 14CO2 in the pore water indicating that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) did not originate from fresh......Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in a third production year ryegrass–clover mixture were investigated in the field. Cylinders (diameter 29.7 cm) were installed to depths of 20, 40 and 60 cm and equipped with suction cups to collect percolating pore water. Ryegrass and clover leaves were cross......-labelled with 14C- and 15N-enriched urea and the fate of the two tracers was studied for 3 months during summer. Transfer of 14C occurred mainly from ryegrass to clover, whereas the largest transfer of 15N was in the opposite direction. The average transfer of N from clover was 40% (SE±3.1, n=9) of N in ryegrass...

Potential for yield in red clover (Trifolium pratense L. varieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasiljević Sanja

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Red clover (Trifolium pratense L. is botanically a perennial, although it often behaves as a biennial. The crop usually lives 2 to 3 seasons in most clover-growing regions of the world and is generally conceded to be lacking in persistence. The objective of this investigation was to analyze the production potential and persistence of domestic and imported red clover varieties. Experiments were conducted at Rimski Šančevi Experiment Field during the period 2004-2006. The experimental materials were six varieties (K-17, Kolubara, Una, Viola, Start, Nike which were analyzed for the most important production characteristics: yield of green mass, dry matter yield and persistence. .

Nootkatone is a repellent for Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, B C; Henderson, G; Chen, F; Maistrello, L; Laine, R A

2001-03-01

We examined the behavior of Formosan subterranean termites toward one of the components of vetiver grass oil, the roots of which manufacture insect repellents. We found nootkatone, a sesquiterpene ketone, isolated from vetiver oil is a strong repellent and toxicant to Formosan subterranean termites. The lowest effective concentration tested was 10 micrograms/g substrate. This is the first report of nootkatone being a repellent to insects.

Leaching of cyanogenic glucosides and cyanide from white clover green manure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjarnholt, Nanna; Lægdsmand, Mette; Hansen, Hans Chr. Bruun

2008-01-01

Use of crops for green manure as a substitute for chemical fertilizers and pesticides is an important approach towards more sustainable agricultural practices. Green manure from white clover is rich in nitrogen but white clover also produces the cyanogenic glucosides (CGs) linamarin...... and lotaustralin; CGs release toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN) upon hydrolysis which may be utilized for pest control. We demonstrate that applying CGs in the form of a liquid extract of white clover to large columns of intact agricultural soils can result in leaching of toxic cyanide species to a depth of at least 1...

The effect of vehicle exhausts on crops and other utility plants close to roads; Trafikavgasers effekter paa groedor och andra nyttovaexter i naerheten av vaegar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pleijel, H.; Ahlfors, A.; Skaerby, L.; Pihl Karlsson, G.; Sjoedin, Aa.

1993-11-01

This report summarizes the present knowledge concerning the impact of automobile exhausts on plants and the research carried out at IVL in this field during the period 1988-1991. The investigations carried out at motorway E6 south of Gothenburg show: * that the concentrations of ethylene are high enough to cause pronounced effects on the bio indicator petunia, * that the ozone concentrations in the vicinity of the motorway are lower than the regional background concentrations, which was reflected in significantly less visible ozone injury on the ozone bio indicator, subterranean clover, close to the motorway after an ozone episode, * that the less ozone sensitive red clover, in contrast to subterranean clover, showed stimulated growth with increasing distance from the motorway, * that there was a tendency towards higher yields for cereals in the vicinity of the motorway, but the extent of and cause for this growth stimulation is not known at present. The effects of metals from catalytic converters is as yet uncertain, as is the understanding of effects of nitrogen oxides. 45 refs, 16 figs, 7 tabs

Early interspecific interference in the wheat/faba bean (Triticum aestivum/ Vicia faba ssp. minor and rapeseed/squarrosum clover (Brassica napus var. oleifera/Trifolium squarrosum intercrops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Benincasa

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Most of research on intercrops evaluate performances and interference between species on the basis of final yield, while little knowledge is available on the interference in early stages and at the root level, at least for cultivated intercrops. In fact, in the few studies on this subject species are often combined minding at experimental needs (e.g. common substrate, temperature and water requirements, easy root separation more than at their actual use in the farm. The present work evaluates interspecific interference during early developmental stages for two intercrops of agricultural interest: soft wheat-faba bean and rapeseed-squarrosum clover. Improving this knowledge would help intercrop growth modelling and rational cultivation. The experiments were carried out on soft wheat (Triticum aestivum, faba bean (Vicia faba var. minor, rapeseed (Brassica napus var. oleifera and squarrosum clover (Trifolium squarrosum, germinated and grown until 32 days after sowing (DAS as one-species stands or as wheat/faba bean and rapeseed/squarrosum clover intercrops, with different densities and proportions for the two species in each couple. Germination was studied in controlled-temperature chamber, plantlet growth was studied on pots in the greenhouse. During germination no interspecific interference was observed for both wheat/faba bean and rapeseed/squarrosum clover intercrops. During plantlet growth, interspecific interference occurred in both intercrops causing variations in whole plant and root dry matter accumulation. In the wheat/faba bean intercrop each species suffered from the competitive effect of the companion species and faba bean was the dominant species when present in lower proportion than wheat. The unexpectedly high aggressivity of faba bean may be explained either with the greater seed size that could have represented an initial advantage within the short duration of the experiment or with the competition towards wheat for substrate N

Estimating the content of clover and grass in the sward using a consumer camera and image processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Anders Krogh; Karstoft, Henrik; Søegaard, Karen

the dry matter ratio of clover and grass in clover grass fields from sparse close up images. First, the light conditions is determined, which is used for selecting model parameters to estimate the coverage of both clover and grass. Next, the clover and grass coverage are transformed to give the dry matter...

Subterranean stress engineering experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, J.R.; Colgate, S.A.; Wheat, B.M.

1980-01-01

The state of stress in a subterranean rock mass has classically been assumed to be constant at best. In soil with a high clay content, preconsolidation and drainage methods can lead to more stable foundation material, but methods for engineering the stresses in large masses of rock are not well known. This paper shows the results from an experiment designed to alter the in situ rock stress field in an oil shale mine. This was done by hydrofracturing the rock by use of a packed-well injection system and then propping the crack open with a thixotropic gel, which slowly hardened to the consistency of cement. Successive hydrofracture and high-pressure grouting resulted in an overstressed region. Well-head injection pressures, surface tilts, injection rates, and subterranean strains were measured and recorded on floppy disk by a Z-80 microprocessor. The results were then transmitted to the large computer system at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). To put the data in a more useful form, computer-generated movies of the tilts and strains were made by use of computer graphics developed at LASL. The purpose of this paper is to present results from the Single Large Instrumented Test conducted in the Colony Oil Shale Mine near Rifle, Colorado. 13 figures

Cumulative effects of white clover residues on the changes in soil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

White clover grows naturally all over the Himalayan regions including the hilly areas of the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of white clover residues alone or in combination with phosphorus (P) fertilizer on maize (Zea mays L.) yield, nutrient uptake and ...

Nutrient dynamics and tree growth of silvopastoral systems: impact of poultry litter.

Science.gov (United States)

Blazier, Michael A; Gaston, Lewis A; Clason, Terry R; Farrish, Kenneth W; Oswald, Brian P; Evans, Hayden A

2008-01-01

Fertilizing pastures with poultry litter has led to an increased incidence of nutrient-saturated soils, particularly on highly fertilized, well drained soils. Applying litter to silvopastures, in which loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) production are integrated, may be an ecologically desirable alternative for upland soils of the southeastern USA. Integrating subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) into silvopastures may enhance nutrient retention potential. This study evaluated soil nutrient dynamics, loblolly pine nutrient composition, and loblolly pine growth of an annually fertilized silvopasture on a well drained soil in response to fertilizer type, litter application rate, and subterranean clover. Three fertilizer treatments were applied annually for 4 yr: (i) 5 Mg litter ha(-1) (5LIT), (ii) 10 Mg litter ha(-1) (10LIT), and (iii) an inorganic N, P, K pasture blend (INO). Litter stimulated loblolly pine growth, and neither litter treatment produced soil test P concentrations above runoff potential threshold ranges. However, both litter treatments led to accumulation of several nutrients (notably P) in upper soil horizons relative to INO and unfertilized control treatments. The 10LIT treatment may have increased N and P leaching potential. Subterranean clover kept more P sequestered in the upper soil horizon and conferred some growth benefits to loblolly pine. Thus, although these silvopasture systems had a relatively high capacity for nutrient use and retention at this site, litter should be applied less frequently than in this study to reduce environmental risks.

Does white clover (Trifolium repens abundance in temperate pastures determine Sitona obsoletus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae larval populations?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Richard McNeill

2016-09-01

Full Text Available To determine if host plant abundance determined the size of clover root weevil (CRW Sitona obsoletus larval populations, a study was conducted over four years in plots sown in ryegrass (Lolium perenne (cv. Nui sown at either 6 or 30 kg/ha and white clover (Trifolium repens sown at a uniform rate of 8 kg/ha. This provided a range of % white clover content to investigate CRW population establishment and impacts on white clover survival. Larval sampling was carried out in spring (October when larval densities are near their spring peak at Lincoln (Canterbury, New Zealand with % clover measured in autumn (April and spring (September of each year. Overall, mean larval densities measured in spring 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 310, 38, 59 and 31 larvae m-2, respectively. There was a significant decline in larval populations between 2012 and 2013, but spring populations were relatively uniform thereafter. The mean % white clover measured in autumns of 2012 to 2015 was 17, 10, 3 and 11%, respectively. In comparison, mean spring % white clover from 2012 to 2015, averaged c. 5% each year. Analysis relating spring (October larval populations to % white clover measured in each plot in autumn (April found the 2012 larval population to be statistically significantly larger in the ryegrass 6 kg/ha plots than 30 kg/ha plots. Thereafter, sowing rate had no significant effect on larval populations. From 2013 to 2015, spring larval populations had a negative relationship with the previous autumn % white clover with the relationship highly significant for the 2014 data. When CRW larval populations in spring 2013 to 2015 were predicted from the 2013 to 2015 autumn % white clover, respectively, based on their positive relationship in 2012, the predicted densities were substantially larger than those observed. Conversely, when 2015 spring larval data and % clover was regressed against 2012-2014 larval populations, observed densities tended to be higher than predicted

Does White Clover (Trifolium repens) Abundance in Temperate Pastures Determine Sitona obsoletus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Larval Populations?

Science.gov (United States)

McNeill, Mark R; van Koten, Chikako; Cave, Vanessa M; Chapman, David; Hodgson, Hamish

2016-01-01

To determine if host plant abundance determined the size of clover root weevil (CRW) Sitona obsoletus larval populations, a study was conducted over 4 years in plots sown in ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ) (cv. Nui) sown at either 6 or 30 kg/ha and white clover ( Trifolium repens ) sown at a uniform rate of 8 kg/ha. This provided a range of % white clover content to investigate CRW population establishment and impacts on white clover survival. Larval sampling was carried out in spring (October) when larval densities are near their spring peak at Lincoln (Canterbury, New Zealand) with % clover measured in autumn (April) and spring (September) of each year. Overall, mean larval densities measured in spring 2012-2015 were 310, 38, 59, and 31 larvae m -2 , respectively. There was a significant decline in larval populations between 2012 and 2013, but spring populations were relatively uniform thereafter. The mean % white clover measured in autumns of 2012 to 2015 was 17, 10, 3, and 11%, respectively. In comparison, mean spring % white clover from 2012 to 2015, averaged c. 5% each year. Analysis relating spring (October) larval populations to % white clover measured in each plot in autumn (April) found the 2012 larval population to be statistically significantly larger in the ryegrass 6 kg/ha plots than 30 kg/ha plots. Thereafter, sowing rate had no significant effect on larval populations. From 2013 to 2015, spring larval populations had a negative relationship with the previous autumn % white clover with the relationship highly significant for the 2014 data. When CRW larval populations in spring 2013 to 2015 were predicted from the 2013 to 2015 autumn % white clover, respectively, based on their positive relationship in 2012, the predicted densities were substantially larger than those observed. Conversely, when 2015 spring larval data and % clover was regressed against 2012-2014 larval populations, observed densities tended to be higher than predicted, but the numbers

Colonization of subterranean habitats by spiders in Central Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlastimil Růžička

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Using data from the Czech Republic, we studied the distribution of spiders in soils, crevice systems, scree and caves, i.e. subterranean habitats at depths spanning from 10 cm to 100 m. In total, we found 161 species. The number of species declines with increasing habitat depth, with a major drop in species richness at the depth of 10 meters. Thirteen species exhibit morphological adaptations to life in subterranean habitats. At depths greater than 10 meters, spider assemblages are almost exclusively composed of troglomorphic species. We propose a hypothesis of evolution of troglomorphisms at spiders during Quaternary climatic cycles.

Estimation of the Botanical Composition of Clover-Grass Leys from RGB Images Using Data Simulation and Fully Convolutional Neural Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Steen, Kim Arild; Green, Ole; Karstoft, Henrik

2017-01-01

Optimal fertilization of clover-grass fields relies on knowledge of the clover and grass fractions. This study shows how knowledge can be obtained by analyzing images collected in fields automatically. A fully convolutional neural network was trained to create a pixel-wise classification of clover, grass, and weeds in red, green, and blue (RGB) images of clover-grass mixtures. The estimated clover fractions of the dry matter from the images were found to be highly correlated with the real clover fractions of the dry matter, making this a cheap and non-destructive way of monitoring clover-grass fields. The network was trained solely on simulated top-down images of clover-grass fields. This enables the network to distinguish clover, grass, and weed pixels in real images. The use of simulated images for training reduces the manual labor to a few hours, as compared to more than 3000 h when all the real images are annotated for training. The network was tested on images with varied clover/grass ratios and achieved an overall pixel classification accuracy of 83.4%, while estimating the dry matter clover fraction with a standard deviation of 7.8%. PMID:29258215

Assessment of nickel bioavailability through chemical extractants and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in an amended soil: Related changes in various parameters of red clover.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahbaz, Ali Khan; Iqbal, Muhammad; Jabbar, Abdul; Hussain, Sabir; Ibrahim, Muhammad

2018-03-01

Application of immobilizing agents may efficiently reduce the bioavailability of nickel (Ni) in the soil. Here we report the effect of biochar (BC), gravel sludge (GS) and zeolite (ZE) as a sole treatment and their combinations on the bioavailability of Ni after their application into a Ni-polluted soil. The bioavailability of Ni after the application of immobilizing agents was assessed through an indicator plant (red clover) and chemical indicators of bioavailability like soil water extract (SWE), DTPA and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 extracts. Additionally, the effects of Ni bioavailability and immobilizing agents on the growth, physiological and biochemical attributes of red clover were also observed. Application of ZE significantly reduced Ni concentrations in all chemical extracts compared to rest of the treatments. Similarly, the combined application of BC and ZE (BC+ ZE) significantly reduced Ni concentrations, reactive oxygen species (ROS) whereas, significant enhancement in the growth, physiological and biochemical attributes along with an improvement in antioxidant defence machinery of red clover plant, compared to rest of the treatments, were observed. Furthermore, BC+ ZE treatment significantly reduced bioconcentration factor (BCF) and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of Ni in red clover, compared to rest of the treatments. The Ni concentrations in red clover leaves individually reflected a good correlation with Ni concentrations in the extracts (SWE at R 2 =0.79, DTPA extract at R 2 =0.84 and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 extracts at R 2 =0.86). Our results indicate that combined application of ZE and BC can significantly reduce the Ni bioavailability in the soil while in parallel improve the antioxidant defence mechanism in plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Living in a ``stethoscope'': burrow-acoustics promote auditory specializations in subterranean rodents

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Simone; Burda, Hynek; Wegner, Regina E.; Dammann, Philip; Begall, Sabine; Kawalika, Mathias

2007-02-01

Subterranean mammals rely to a great extent on audition for communication and to be alerted to danger. The only hitherto published report on burrow acoustics revealed that in tunnels of blind mole-rats ( Spalax ehrenbergi), airborne sounds of 440 Hz propagated best whereas lower and higher frequencies were effectively attenuated. Morpho-functional analyses classify the ear of subterranean mammals as a low-sensitivity and low-frequency device. Concordantly, hearing is characterized by low sensitivity and a restricted frequency range tuned to low frequencies (0.5-4 kHz). Some authors considered the restricted hearing in subterranean mammals vestigial and degenerate due to under-stimulation. In contrast to this view stand a rich (mostly low-frequency) vocal repertoire and progressive structural specializations of the middle and inner ear. Thus, other authors considered these hearing characteristics adaptive. To test the hypothesis that acoustical environment in burrows of different species of subterranean mammals is similar, we measured sound attenuation in burrows of Fukomys mole-rats (formerly known as Cryptomys, cf. Kock et al. 2006) of two differently sized species at different locations in Zambia. We show that in these burrows, low-frequency sounds (200-800 Hz) are not only least attenuated but also their amplitude may be amplified like in a stethoscope (up to two times over 1 m). We suggest that hearing sensitivity has decreased during evolution of subterranean mammals to avoid over-stimulation of the ear in their natural environment.

Convergent Reduction of Ovariole Number Associated with Subterranean Life in Beetles

Science.gov (United States)

Faille, Arnaud; Pluot-Sigwalt, Dominique

2015-01-01

Background Some species of obligate cavernicolous beetles are known to possess a unique feature—a contraction of the larval cycle. In contrast to many other subterranean beetles, life-cycle contraction in Trechini ground beetles (Carabidae) is correlated with a reduction in the number of eggs and a drastic reduction in the number of ovarioles. This remarkable peculiarity has only been reported for a small number of closely related species. Results We give a description of the female internal reproductive system for six species of Trechini, including five subterranean species, with a particular focus on the western Pyrenean radiation of Aphaenops, a group for which nothing is known regarding the early life stages. We redescribe the internal female genitalia of A. crypticola Linder. Study of the ovarioles allowed us to infer the postembryonic development of the larvae for each species examined. We then used a phylogenetic framework to recognize two independent reductions in the number of ovarioles in the Pyrenean lineage. We discuss the multiple convergent evolutions in ovariole number and the potential link between a reduction of ovariole number and troglobiomorphism in a phylogenetic context. Conclusions There is an extreme reduction in ovariole number and size within the species studied; the eggs produced by small ovarioles have a remarkably large size. A reduction to one ovariole has occurred independently at least twice in this subterranean group. A reduction in the number of ovarioles in ground beetles is one of the striking consequences of subterranean specialization and it is correlated with another remarkable adaptation of subterranean beetles, a reduction in the number of larval instars. PMID:26151557

Convergent Reduction of Ovariole Number Associated with Subterranean Life in Beetles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnaud Faille

Full Text Available Some species of obligate cavernicolous beetles are known to possess a unique feature-a contraction of the larval cycle. In contrast to many other subterranean beetles, life-cycle contraction in Trechini ground beetles (Carabidae is correlated with a reduction in the number of eggs and a drastic reduction in the number of ovarioles. This remarkable peculiarity has only been reported for a small number of closely related species.We give a description of the female internal reproductive system for six species of Trechini, including five subterranean species, with a particular focus on the western Pyrenean radiation of Aphaenops, a group for which nothing is known regarding the early life stages. We redescribe the internal female genitalia of A. crypticola Linder. Study of the ovarioles allowed us to infer the postembryonic development of the larvae for each species examined. We then used a phylogenetic framework to recognize two independent reductions in the number of ovarioles in the Pyrenean lineage. We discuss the multiple convergent evolutions in ovariole number and the potential link between a reduction of ovariole number and troglobiomorphism in a phylogenetic context.There is an extreme reduction in ovariole number and size within the species studied; the eggs produced by small ovarioles have a remarkably large size. A reduction to one ovariole has occurred independently at least twice in this subterranean group. A reduction in the number of ovarioles in ground beetles is one of the striking consequences of subterranean specialization and it is correlated with another remarkable adaptation of subterranean beetles, a reduction in the number of larval instars.

Modelling interactions in grass-clover mixtures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nassiri Mahallati, M.

1998-01-01

The study described in this thesis focuses on a quantitative understanding of the complex interactions in binary mixtures of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) under cutting. The first part of the study describes the dynamics of growth, production

Vibrational communication of subterranean rodents

OpenAIRE

HROUZKOVÁ, Ema

2012-01-01

This PhD. thesis focuses on the vibrational communication of subterranean mammals, in particular, vocal communication of bathyergids (Heliophobius argenteocinereus, Fukomys mechowii, Fukomys darlingi) and seismic communication of Tachyoryctes. We recorded and analyzed the vocalization of three species and discussed the physical parameters of their vocalization in relationship to the special underground acoustic environment. Moreover, social systems of African mole-rats range from solitary to ...

Into the dark: patterns of middle ear adaptations in subterranean eulipotyphlan mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Koyabu, Daisuke; Hosojima, Misato; Endo, Hideki

2017-09-01

Evolution of the middle ear ossicles was a key innovation for mammals, enhancing the transmission of airborne sound. Radiation into various habitats from a terrestrial environment resulted in diversification of the auditory mechanisms among mammals. However, due to the paucity of phylogenetically controlled investigations, how middle ear traits have diversified with functional specialization remains unclear. In order to identify the respective patterns for various lifestyles and to gain insights into fossil forms, we employed a high-resolution tomography technique and compared the middle ear morphology of eulipotyphlan species (moles, shrews and hedgehogs), a group that has radiated into various environments, such as terrestrial, aquatic and subterranean habitats. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis was conducted within a phylogenetically controlled framework. Quantitative shapes were found to strongly reflect the degree of subterranean lifestyle and weakly involve phylogeny. Our analyses demonstrate that subterranean adaptation should include a relatively shorter anterior process of the malleus, an enlarged incus, an enlarged stapes footplate and a reduction of the orbicular apophysis. These traits arguably allow improving low-frequency sound transmission at low frequencies and inhibiting the low-frequency noise which disturbs the subterranean animals in hearing airborne sounds.

CO2 efflux from subterranean nests of ant communities in a seasonal tropical forest, Thailand

OpenAIRE

Hasin, Sasitorn; Ohashi, Mizue; Yamada, Akinori; Hashimoto, Yoshiaki; Tasen, Wattanachai; Kume, Tomonori; Yamane, Seiki

2014-01-01

Many ant species construct subterranean nests. The presence of their nests may explain soil respiration “hot spots”, an important factor in the high CO2 efflux from tropical forests. However, no studies have directly measured CO2 efflux from ant nests. We established 61 experimental plots containing 13 subterranean ant species to evaluate the CO2 efflux from subterranean ant nests in a tropical seasonal forest, Thailand. We examined differences in nest CO2 efflux among ant species. We determi...

A molecular phylogeny shows the single origin of the Pyrenean subterranean Trechini ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Faille, A; Ribera, I; Deharveng, L; Bourdeau, C; Garnery, L; Quéinnec, E; Deuve, T

2010-01-01

Trechini ground beetles include some of the most spectacular radiations of cave and endogean Coleoptera, but the origin of the subterranean taxa and their typical morphological adaptations (loss of eyes and wings, depigmentation, elongation of body and appendages) have never been studied in a formal phylogenetic framework. We provide here a molecular phylogeny of the Pyrenean subterranean Trechini based on a combination of mitochondrial (cox1, cyb, rrnL, tRNA-Leu, nad1) and nuclear (SSU, LSU) markers of 102 specimens of 90 species. We found all Pyrenean highly modified subterranean taxa to be monophyletic, to the exclusion of all epigean and all subterranean species from other geographical areas (Cantabrian and Iberian mountains, Alps). Within the Pyrenean subterranean clade the three genera (Geotrechus, Aphaenops and Hydraphaenops) were polyphyletic, indicating multiple origins of their special adaptations to different ways of life (endogean, troglobitic or living in deep fissures). Diversification followed a geographical pattern, with two main clades in the western and central-eastern Pyrenees respectively, and several smaller lineages of more restricted range. Based on a Bayesian relaxed-clock approach, and using as an approximation a standard mitochondrial mutation rate of 2.3% MY, we estimate the origin of the subterranean clade at ca. 10 MY. Cladogenetic events in the Pliocene and Pleistocene were almost exclusively within the same geographical area and involving species of the same morphological type.

Transformation kinetics of corn and clover residues in mineral substrates of different composition

Science.gov (United States)

Pinskii, D. L.; Maltseva, A. N.; Zolotareva, B. N.; Dmitrieva, E. D.

2017-06-01

Mineralization kinetics of corn and clover residues in quartz sand, loam, sand + 15% bentonite, and sand + 30% kaolinite have been studied. A scheme has been proposed for the transformation of plant residues in mineral substrates. Kinetic parameters of mineralization have been calculated with the use of a first-order two-term exponential polynomial. It has been shown that the share of labile organic carbon pool in the clover biomass is higher (57-63%) than in the corn biomass (47-49%), which is related to the biochemical composition of plant residues. The mineralization constants of clover residues generally significantly exceed those of corn because of the stronger stabilization of the decomposition products of corn residues. The turnover time of the labile clover pool (4-9 days) in all substrates and that of the labile corn pool (8-10 days) in sands and substrates containing kaolinites and bentonite are typical for organic acids, amino acids, and simple sugars. In the loamy substrate, the turnover time of labile corn pool is about 46 days due to the stronger stabilization of components of the labile pool containing large amounts of organic acids. The turnover time of the stable clover pool (0.95 years) is significantly lower than that of the stable corn pool (1.60 years) and largely corresponds to the turnover time of plant biomass.

A New NPGS Special Collection: Norman L. Taylor University of Kentucky Clover Collection

Science.gov (United States)

Dr. Norman L. Taylor was a world renowned Professor and clover breeder in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Kentucky for 48 years. Following retirement in 2001, he continued working on clovers up until his death in 2010. Dr. Taylor’s entire career was devoted to enhancin...

The Clover detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beck, F A; Byrski, Th; Durien, D; Duchene, G; France, G de; Kharraja, B; Wei, L [Strasbourg-1 Univ., 67 (France). Centre de Recherches Nucleaires; Butler, P; Jones, G; Jones, P [Liverpool Univ. (United Kingdom). Oliver Lodge Lab.; Hannachi, F [Daresbury Lab. (United Kingdom)

1992-08-01

The EUROGAM Phase I device is almost running for experiments and new technical developments are in progress for its second phase. For example, a composite Ge detector should enable: a very large photopeak efficiency with good energy and timing resolutions; and, the covering, with Ge, of a large portion of 4{pi}-Str. The Clover detector, proposed by the CRN, Strasbourg, is one of this new generation of Ge detectors. It is currently developed in France by the EUROGAM collaboration. The design, the technical characteristics of the counter and the first results of the prototype tests are discussed in this contribution. (author). 1 ref., 2 tabs., 2 refs.

Inclusion of caraway in the ryegrass-red clover mixture modifies soil microbial community composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cong, Wenfeng; Jing, Jingying; Søegaard, Karen

-containing grass-clover mixtures may potentially affect soil microbial community structure, biomass and associated ecosystem functions, but it is yet to be elucidated. We hypothesized that inclusion of plantain in the grass-clover mixture would enhance soil microbial biomas and functions through its high biomass...

Caverns Measureless to Man: Subterranean Rivers and Adventurous Masculinities in the Victorian Lost World Novel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McCausland, Elly

2018-01-01

This article examines a recurring trope in late Victorian ‘lost world’ adventure novels: the terrifying descent down a subterranean river into the bowels of the earth. More than simply an exciting episode, the subterranean river journey reflects narrative strategies and thematic concerns key to b...

Assessing effects of ambient ozone on injury and growth of Trifolium subterraneum at four rural sites in the Netherlands with ethylenediurea (EDU)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tonneijck, A.E.G.; Dijk, van C.J.

1997-01-01

To assess adverse effects of ambient ozone on injury and growth, EDU (ethylenediurea) and non-EDU-treated plants of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum cv. Geraldton) were exposed to ambient air at four rural sites in the Netherlands. In each of two successive experiments of eight weeks

Growth changes of plants following the removal of nutritional stresses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouma, D.

1965-01-01

Differential changes in leaf area of plants were used to assess the fertility status of soils. For this method subterranean clover plants were raised in solutions with different levels of nutrients and transferred either into complete solutions or to solutions lacking one of the elements. Response

Effect of chemical cues on the foraging and tunneling behavior of Formosan subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Wood rot fungi can cause directional tunneling, aggregation behavior and increased wood consumption by subterranean termites. Because vanillin and guaiacol are byproducts of lignin degradation, these chemicals were tested as potential attractants to Formosan subterranean termites, Coptotermes formo...

Production of N2O in grass-clover pastures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, M.S.

2005-09-01

Agricultural soils are known to be a considerable source of the strong greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and in soil N 2 O is mainly produced by nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. In Denmark, grass-clover pastures are an important component of the cropping system in organic as well as conventional dairy farming, and on a European scale grass-clover mixtures represent a large part of the grazed grasslands. Biological dinitrogen (N 2 ) fixation in clover provides a major N input to these systems, but knowledge is sparse regarding the amount of fixed N 2 lost from the grasslands as N2O. Furthermore, urine patches deposited by grazing cattle are known to be hot-spots of N 2 O emission, but the mechanisms involved in the N 2 O production in urine-affected soil are very complex and not well understood. The aim of this Ph.D. project was to increase the knowledge of the biological and physical-chemical mechanisms, which control the production of N2O in grazed grass-clover pastures. Three experimental studies were conducted with the objectives of: 1: assessing the contribution of recently fixed N 2 as a source of N 2 O. 2: examining the link between N 2 O emission and carbon mineralization in urine patches. 3: investigating the effect of urine on the rates and N 2 O loss ratios of nitrification and denitrification, and evaluating the impact of the chemical conditions that arise in urine affected soil. The results revealed that only 3.2 ± 0.5 ppm of the recently fixed N 2 was emitted as N2O on a daily basis. Thus, recently fixed N released via easily degradable clover residues appears to be a minor source of N2O. Furthermore, increased N 2 O emission following urine application at rates up to 5.5 g N m -2 was not caused by enhanced denitrification stimulated by labile compounds released from scorched plant roots. Finally, the increase of soil pH and ammonium following urine application led to raised nitrification rate, which appeared to be the most important factor

Two Complete Genome Sequences of Phasey Bean Mild Yellows Virus, a Novel Member of the Luteoviridae from Australia

OpenAIRE

Sharman, Murray; Kehoe, Monica; Coutts, Brenda; van Leur, Joop; Filardo, Fiona; Thomas, John

2016-01-01

We present here the complete genome sequences of a novel polerovirus from Trifolium subterraneum (subterranean clover) and Cicer arietinum (chickpea) and compare these to a partial viral genome sequence obtained from Macroptilium lathyroides (phasey bean). We propose the name phasey bean mild yellows virus for this novel polerovirus.

Effect of fertilizer type on cadmium and fluorine concentrations in clover herbage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, M.J.

2002-01-01

This study investigated whether changing phosphatic fertilizer type affects the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and fluorine (F) in pasture herbage. North Carolina phosphate rock and partially acidulated fertilizers derived from this rock generally have higher Cd and F concentrations compared to single superphosphate currently manufactured in Australia. Clover herbage from sites of the National Reactive Phosphate Rock (RPR) trial was collected and analysed for concentrations of Cd (11 sites) and F (4 sites). A comparison was made between pastures fertilized with 4 rates of single superphosphate, North Carolina phosphate rock, and partially acidulated phosphate rock having Cd concentrations of 283, 481, and 420 mg Cd/kg P respectively, and 170, 271, and 274 g F/kg P respectively. One site used Hemrawein (Egypt) phosphate rock (HRP) having a Cd and F concentration of 78 mg Cd/kg P and 256 g F/kg P respectively. To help identify differences in herbage Cd concentrations between sites, unfertilised soils from each site were analyzed for total and extractable Cd contents. At one site Cd concentrations in bulk herbage (clover, grasses and weeds) were related to infestation of the pasture by capeweed (Arctotheca calendula L. Levyns). There were no significant differences between F in herbage from plots fertilized with single superphosphate, partially acidulated phosphate rock or North Carolina phosphate rock, or between sites. Concentrations of F in herbage were low, generally less than 10 mg F /kg. However, there were large differences in Cd concentrations in herbage between sites, while differences between fertilizer treatments were small in comparison. The site differences were only weakly related to total or extractable (0.01 mol/L CaCl 2 ) Cd concentrations in soil. Significant differences in Cd concentrations in clover due to fertilizer type were found at 5 sites. North Carolina phosphate rock treatments had significantly higher Cd concentrations in clover compared to

Effects of clover density on N2O emissions and plant-soil N transfers in a fertilised upland pasture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klumpp, Katja; Bloor, Juliette M. G.; Ambus, Per

2011-01-01

regression analysis revealed that water-filled pore space (WFPS) and clover dry mass were the main factors driving cumulative N2O emissions in the high clover treatment, whereas variation in cumulated N2O emissions in the low clover treatment was best explained by WFPS and grass mass. We hypothesize...

Adaptations to a Subterranean Environment and Longevity Revealed by the Analysis of Mole Rat Genomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaodong Fang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Subterranean mammals spend their lives in dark, unventilated environments that are rich in carbon dioxide and ammonia and low in oxygen. Many of these animals are also long-lived and exhibit reduced aging-associated diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. We sequenced the genome of the Damaraland mole rat (DMR, Fukomys damarensis and improved the genome assembly of the naked mole rat (NMR, Heterocephalus glaber. Comparative genome analyses, along with the transcriptomes of related subterranean rodents, revealed candidate molecular adaptations for subterranean life and longevity, including a divergent insulin peptide, expression of oxygen-carrying globins in the brain, prevention of high CO2-induced pain perception, and enhanced ammonia detoxification. Juxtaposition of the genomes of DMR and other more conventional animals with the genome of NMR revealed several truly exceptional NMR features: unusual thermogenesis, an aberrant melatonin system, pain insensitivity, and unique processing of 28S rRNA. Together, these genomes and transcriptomes extend our understanding of subterranean adaptations, stress resistance, and longevity.

Mitigation of salt stress in white clover (Trifolium repens) by Azospirillum brasilense and its inoculation effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalid, Muhammad; Bilal, Muhammad; Hassani, Danial; Iqbal, Hafiz M N; Wang, Hang; Huang, Danfeng

2017-12-01

Salinity is one of the increasingly serious environmental problems worldwide for cultivating agricultural crops. The present study was aimed to ascertain the potential of beneficial soil bacterium Azospirillum brasilense to alleviate saline stress in Trifolium repens. Experimental plants (white clover) were grown from seeds and inoculated with or without A. brasilense bacterial strain supplemented with 0, 40, 80, or 120 mM NaCl into soil. The growth attributes including, shoot heights, root lengths, fresh and dry weights, leaf area and chlorophyll content were significantly enhanced in T. repens plants grown in A. brasilense inoculated soil than un-inoculated controls, particularly under elevated salinity conditions (40, 80 and 120 mM NaCl). Malondialdehyde content of leaf was recorded to be declined under saline conditions. Moreover, the K + /Na + ratio was also improved in bacterium-inoculated plants, since A. brasilense significantly reduced the root and shoot Na + level under high salty environment. Results revealed that soil inoculation with A. brasilense could significantly promote T. repens growth under both non-saline and saline environments, and this study might be extended to other vegetables and crops for the germination and growth enhancement.

Subterranean Fire. Changing theories of the earth during the Renaissance.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermij, R

1998-11-01

Aristotle described the earth as a cold and dry body and paid no attention to the phenomenon of terrestrial heat. Renaissance physicians, by contrast, when seeking to understand the origin of hot springs in the context of their balneological studies, came to defend a theory of subterranean fires. This tradition, which started in Italy, became widely known through the works of Georgius Agricola. But although it had implications for the explanation of further natural phenomena, it remained almost exclusively confined to medical circles. As far as physics as an academic discipline was concerned, the ideas concerning subterranean fire were hardly taken note of. Only with the collapse of Aristotelian philosophy in the seventeenth century could these by then "old innovations" obtain a wider significance.

7 CFR 202.44 - Proceedings under section 305(b) to determine whether foreign alfalfa or red clover seed is not...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... foreign alfalfa or red clover seed is not adapted for general agricultural use in the United States. 202... Proceedings under section 305(b) to determine whether foreign alfalfa or red clover seed is not adapted for... for the purpose of determining whether seed of alfalfa or red clover from any foreign country or...

Association of phytoplasmas and viruses with malformed clovers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fránová, Jana; Paltrinieri, S.; Botti, S.; Šimková, Marie; Bertaccini, A.

2004-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 5 (2004), s. 617-624 ISSN 0015-5632 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IBS5051014 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5051902 Keywords : mycoplasma-like organismus * viruses * clovers * classification Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.034, year: 2004

Nitrogen fertilization of grass/clover swards under cutting or grazing by dairy cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søegaard, Karen

2009-01-01

farms over a period of three years. Nitrogen was applied at four rates (0, 75, 150, and 225 kg N year-1) with cutting or grazing regime in Year 1 and Year 2, after establishment. A spring-only application of 150 kg N was compared with four applications during the season, which was the fertilization...... affected. The results indicate different possibilities for strategic fertilization both at farm and field level, and in swards with a high clover content it demonstrates how the clover content can be used as a buffer both for maximizing the N-response and for manipulating the production profile.......Intensively managed perennial ryegrass/white clover (Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L.) swards receive relatively high levels of fertilizer N, and high N surpluses can subsequently be found. The N-fertilization effects on growth, yield, and herbage quality were therefore examined on three...

Two Complete Genome Sequences of Phasey Bean Mild Yellows Virus, a Novel Member of the Luteoviridae from Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharman, Murray; Kehoe, Monica; Coutts, Brenda; van Leur, Joop; Filardo, Fiona; Thomas, John

2016-02-04

We present here the complete genome sequences of a novel polerovirus from Trifolium subterraneum (subterranean clover) and Cicer arietinum (chickpea) and compare these to a partial viral genome sequence obtained from Macroptilium lathyroides (phasey bean). We propose the name phasey bean mild yellows virus for this novel polerovirus. Copyright © 2016 Sharman et al.

PERSISTENCE ASSESSMENT OF RED CLOVER (Trifolium pratense L. IN TÂRGOVISTE PLAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. DUNEA

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Since the most important deficiency of forage stands is the inability to maintain adequate legume participation in mixture, it is the purpose of this paper to examine persistence in red clover in Târgoviste Plain eco-climatic conditions, together with the factors that affect it. Six red clover cultivars (Napoca-Tetra, Dacia Tetra, Vesna – tetraploids; Flora, Roxana, Start – diploids and one white clover diploid cultivar (Karina were used in pure culture and in mixture (50:50 with hybrid ryegrass (Zefir – tetraploid in a randomized block design with three replicates. Ground cover assessment in early spring was a suggestive indicator of the stand persistence to define the stability and sustainability boundaries of a reliable intensive system. In the beginning of the third year of cropping, ground cover was 54.33% for tetraploid cultivars (CV = 43.25%, and 67% for diploid cultivars (CV = 6.83% in pure stands. Same ground cover average of 27% was established both for tetraploid cultivars (CV = 36.47%, and for diploid cultivars (CV = 16.97% in mixtures with hybrid ryegrass.

Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Red Clover and Its Rhizobial Symbiont.

Science.gov (United States)

Moll, Janine; Okupnik, Annette; Gogos, Alexander; Knauer, Katja; Bucheli, Thomas D; van der Heijden, Marcel G A; Widmer, Franco

2016-01-01

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are in consideration to be used in plant protection products. Before these products can be placed on the market, ecotoxicological tests have to be performed. In this study, the nitrogen fixing bacterium Rhizobium trifolii and red clover were exposed to two TiO2 NPs, i.e., P25, E171 and a non-nanomaterial TiO2. Growth of both organisms individually and their symbiotic root nodulation were investigated in liquid and hydroponic systems. While 23 and 18 mg l-1 of E171 and non-nanomaterial TiO2 decreased the growth rate of R. trifolii by 43 and 23% respectively, P25 did not cause effects. Shoot length of red clover decreased between 41 and 62% for all tested TiO2 NPs. In 21% of the TiO2 NP treated plants, no nodules were found. At high concentrations certain TiO2 NPs impaired R. trifolii as well as red clover growth and their symbiosis in the hydroponic systems.

Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Red Clover and Its Rhizobial Symbiont.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janine Moll

Full Text Available Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs are in consideration to be used in plant protection products. Before these products can be placed on the market, ecotoxicological tests have to be performed. In this study, the nitrogen fixing bacterium Rhizobium trifolii and red clover were exposed to two TiO2 NPs, i.e., P25, E171 and a non-nanomaterial TiO2. Growth of both organisms individually and their symbiotic root nodulation were investigated in liquid and hydroponic systems. While 23 and 18 mg l-1 of E171 and non-nanomaterial TiO2 decreased the growth rate of R. trifolii by 43 and 23% respectively, P25 did not cause effects. Shoot length of red clover decreased between 41 and 62% for all tested TiO2 NPs. In 21% of the TiO2 NP treated plants, no nodules were found. At high concentrations certain TiO2 NPs impaired R. trifolii as well as red clover growth and their symbiosis in the hydroponic systems.

Polymers for subterranean containment barriers for underground storage tanks (USTs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiser, J.H.; Colombo, P.; Clinton, J.

1992-12-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) set up the Underground Storage Tank Integrated Demonstration Program (USTID) to demonstrate technologies for the retrieval and treatment of tank waste, and closure of underground storage tanks (USTs). There are more than 250 underground storage tanks throughout the DOE complex. These tanks contain a wide variety of wastes including high level, low level, transuranic, mixed and hazardous wastes. Many of the tanks have performed beyond the designed lifetime resulting in leakage and contamination of the local geologic media and groundwater. To mitigate this problem it has been proposed that an interim subterranean containment barrier be placed around the tanks. This would minimize or prevent future contamination of soil and groundwater in the event that further tank leakages occur before or during remediation. Use of interim subterranean barriers can also provide sufficient time to evaluate and select appropriate remediation alternatives. The DOE Hanford site was chosen as the demonstration site for containment barrier technologies. A panel of experts for the USTID was convened in February, 1992, to identify technologies for placement of subterranean barriers. The selection was based on the ability of candidate grouts to withstand high radiation doses, high temperatures and aggressive tank waste leachates. The group identified and ranked nine grouting technologies that have potential to place vertical barriers and five for horizontal barriers around the tank. The panel also endorsed placement technologies that require minimal excavation of soil surrounding the tanks

Experimental infrared measurements for hydrocarbon pollutant determination in subterranean waters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lay-Ekuakille, A.; Palamara, I.; Caratelli, D.; Morabito, F.C.

2013-01-01

Subterranean waters are often polluted by industrial and anthropic effluents that are drained in subsoil. To prevent and control pollution, legislations of different developed countries require an online monitoring measurement, especially for detecting organic solvents (chlorinated and unchlorinated

Genetic variation of white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) collections ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) to investigate the genetic relationships among white clover germplasms of China, and four commercial cultivars were included for a comparison. The results revealed that the populations showed diverse morphological traits, RAPD and SSR patterns.

Production of N{sub 2}O in grass-clover pastures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carter, M.S.

2005-09-01

Agricultural soils are known to be a considerable source of the strong greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O), and in soil N{sub 2}O is mainly produced by nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. In Denmark, grass-clover pastures are an important component of the cropping system in organic as well as conventional dairy farming, and on a European scale grass-clover mixtures represent a large part of the grazed grasslands. Biological dinitrogen (N{sub 2}) fixation in clover provides a major N input to these systems, but knowledge is sparse regarding the amount of fixed N{sub 2} lost from the grasslands as N2O. Furthermore, urine patches deposited by grazing cattle are known to be hot-spots of N{sub 2}O emission, but the mechanisms involved in the N{sub 2}O production in urine-affected soil are very complex and not well understood. The aim of this Ph.D. project was to increase the knowledge of the biological and physical-chemical mechanisms, which control the production of N2O in grazed grass-clover pastures. Three experimental studies were conducted with the objectives of: 1: assessing the contribution of recently fixed N{sub 2} as a source of N{sub 2}O. 2: examining the link between N{sub 2}O emission and carbon mineralization in urine patches. 3: investigating the effect of urine on the rates and N{sub 2}O loss ratios of nitrification and denitrification, and evaluating the impact of the chemical conditions that arise in urine affected soil. The results revealed that only 3.2 {+-} 0.5 ppm of the recently fixed N{sub 2} was emitted as N2O on a daily basis. Thus, recently fixed N released via easily degradable clover residues appears to be a minor source of N2O. Furthermore, increased N{sub 2}O emission following urine application at rates up to 5.5 g N m{sup -2} was not caused by enhanced denitrification stimulated by labile compounds released from scorched plant roots. Finally, the increase of soil pH and ammonium following urine application led to raised

Soil properties and clover establishment six years after surface application of calcium-rich by-products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritchey, K.D.; Belesky, D.P.; Halvorson, J.J. [USDA ARS, Beaver, WV (US). Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center

2004-12-01

Calcium-rich soil amendments can improve plant growth by supplying Ca and reducing detrimental effects of soil acidity, but solubility and neutralizing capacity of Ca sources vary. Our objectives were to evaluate effects of calcitic dolomite and several coal combustion by-products on soil properties at various depths 6 yr after surface application and their influence on grass-clover herbage accumulation. Calcium and Mg soil amendments were surface-applied to an acidic grassland in 1993, and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbyshire) were oversown in 1994. In 1998, amendment treatment plots were split to accommodate sod seeding with red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) or white clover (T. repens L.) as well as a nonseeded control. No N fertilizer was applied after sod seeding. Six years after amendment application, reductions in soil Al and Mn and increases in Ca and pH from 4654 kg ha{sup -1} calcitic dolomite, 15 000 kg ha{sup -1} fluidized bed combustion residue, or 526 kg ha{sup -1} MgO amendment were greatest in the surface 2.5 cm while rates of gypsum as high as 32 000 kg ha{sup -1} left little residual effect except for decreases in Mg. Percentage clover in the sward tripled as pH increased from 4.3 to 5.0 while herbage mass increased 75% as clover percentage increased. Herbage mass was generally more closely correlated with properties of soil samples collected from the surface 2.5 cm than from deeper samples.

Effects of field characteristics on abundance of bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and seed yield in red clover fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wermuth, Kirsten Haugaard; Dupont, Yoko L.

2010-01-01

Red clover is a key floral ressource for bumblebees (Bombus spp.).We here investigate variation within and among red clover fields in species richness and abundance of Bombus spp. in addition to Apis mellifera. Bumblebee individuals were grouped into the following functional groups, based on castes...

Effects of grass-clover management and cover crops on nitrogen cycling and nitrous oxide emissions in a stockless organic crop rotation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brozyna, Michal Adam; Petersen, Søren O; Chirinda, Ngoni

2013-01-01

Nitrogen (N) supply in stockless organic farming may be improved through use of grass-clover for anaerobic digestion, producing biogas and digested manure for use as fertilizer in the crop rotation. We studied the effects of grass-clover management on N cycling, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions...... in the rotation (spring barley, potato and winter wheat); actual digestion of grass-clover cuttings was not possible, instead digested pig manure was used as substitute for digested grass-clover. Nitrous oxide fluxes were monitored between April 2008 and May 2009. In general, application of digested manure had...

Phyto-oestrogens in herbage and milk from cows grazing whiteclover, red clover, lucerne or chicory-rich pastures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, C; Nielsen, T S; Purup, S

2009-01-01

A grazing experiment was carried out to study the concentration of phyto-oestrogens in herbage for cattle and in milk during two periods (May and June). Forty-eight Danish Holstein cows were divided into four groups with four treatment diets; white clover, red clover, lucerne and chicory-rich pas...

Improving Resilience of Northern Field Crop Systems Using Inter-Seeded Red Clover: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Deen

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In light of the environmental challenges ahead, resilience of the most abundant field crop production systems must be improved to guarantee yield stability with more efficient use of nitrogen inputs, soil and water resources. Along with genetic and agronomic innovations, diversification of northern agro-ecosystems using inter-seeded legumes provides further opportunities to improve land management practices that sustain crop yields and their resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. Benefits of legume cover crops have been known for decades and red clover (Trifolium pratense is one of the most common and beneficial when frost-seeded under winter wheat in advance of maize in a rotation. However, its use has been declining mostly due to the use of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides, concerns over competition with the main crop and the inability to fully capture red clover benefits due to difficulties in the persistence of uniform stands. In this manuscript, we first review the environmental, agronomic, rotational and economical benefits associated with inter-seeded red clover. Red clover adaptation to a wide array of common wheat-based rotations, its potential to mitigate the effects of land degradation in a changing climate and its integration into sustainable food production systems are discussed. We then identify areas of research with significant potential to impact cropping system profitability and sustainability.

CO2 efflux from subterranean nests of ant communities in a seasonal tropical forest, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasin, Sasitorn; Ohashi, Mizue; Yamada, Akinori; Hashimoto, Yoshiaki; Tasen, Wattanachai; Kume, Tomonori; Yamane, Seiki

2014-10-01

Many ant species construct subterranean nests. The presence of their nests may explain soil respiration "hot spots", an important factor in the high CO2 efflux from tropical forests. However, no studies have directly measured CO2 efflux from ant nests. We established 61 experimental plots containing 13 subterranean ant species to evaluate the CO2 efflux from subterranean ant nests in a tropical seasonal forest, Thailand. We examined differences in nest CO2 efflux among ant species. We determined the effects of environmental factors on nest CO2 efflux and calculated an index of nest structure. The mean CO2 efflux from nests was significantly higher than those from the surrounding soil in the wet and dry seasons. The CO2 efflux was species-specific, showing significant differences among the 13 ant species. The soil moisture content significantly affected nest CO2 efflux, but there was no clear relationship between nest CO2 efflux and nest soil temperature. The diameter of the nest entrance hole affected CO2 efflux. However, there was no significant difference in CO2 efflux rates between single-hole and multiple-hole nests. Our results suggest that in a tropical forest ecosystem the increase in CO2 efflux from subterranean ant nests is caused by species-specific activity of ants, the nest soil environment, and nest structure.

Preliminary research on amino acid composition and nutritional value of clover proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Kłyszejko-Stefanowicz

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The amino acid composition and nutritional value of 5 clover varieties including 3 Polish ones ('Gloria', 'Hruszowska', 'Skrzeszowicka' and 2 of foreign origin ('Rotra' and 'Violetta' were investigated. No significant differences in the total protein content (19.2–20.0% of dry matter as well as in qualitative amino acid composition were found among the clover varieties under examination. EAA index (Essential amino acid index calculated according to Oser for 'Gloria' and 'Hruszowska' showed the highest nutritional value was – 40. The lowest value of EAA index was found for 'Violetta' cvar. – 32, intermediate values however for Rotra and Skrzeszowicka was 37 and 36.

Analysis of the effects of pair production for the suppressed clover detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kshetri, R.

2014-01-01

Full energy peak, single escape peak and double escape peak areas have been extracted for an escape suppressed clover detector. Results have been obtained for the single crystal and addback modes of operation as well as the active and passive suppression cases at several gamma energies. We have compared the ratio of single escape peak areas in addback mode with that of single crystal mode to study if the single escape peak gains or loses counts due to addback mode. Detailed analysis has been performed for quantifying the advantages of using addback mode and active suppression. Comparison is made for different types of clover detectors with different volumes

Resistance of red clover (Trifolium pratense) to the root parasitic plant Orobanche minor is activated by salicylate but not by jasmonate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kusumoto, Dai; Goldwasser, Yaakov; Xie, Xiaonan; Yoneyama, Kaori; Takeuchi, Yasutomo; Yoneyama, Koichi

2007-09-01

Obligate root holoparasites of the genus Orobanche attack dicotyledonous crops and cause severe losses in many parts of the world. Chemical induction of plant defence systems such as systemic acquired resistance was proposed to be an available strategy to control the root parasite, but the detailed mechanisms involved have not been clarified. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) and their analogues on resistance of red clover to Orobanche parasitism. Roots of red clover grown in plastic chambers were applied with SA, S-methyl benzo[1,2,3]thiadiazole-7-carbothioate (BTH), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and n-propyl dihydrojasmonate (PDJ), and then were inoculated with O. minor seeds. Attachments of the parasite were observed after 5 weeks. SA and BTH, inducers of SA-mediated defences, significantly reduced the number of established parasites by more than 75 %. By contrast, MeJA and PDJ, inducers of JA-mediated defences, did not affect parasitism. The reduction in the number of established parasites by SA and BTH was due to the inhibited elongation of O. minor radicles and the activation of defence responses in the host root including lignification of the endodermis. These results suggest that SA-induced resistance, but not JA-induced resistance, is effective in inhibiting Orobanche parasitism and that the resistance is expressed by the host root both externally and internally.

Molecular evolution of the Li/li chemical defence polymorphism in white clover (Trifolium repens L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, K M; Sutherland, B L; Small, L L

2007-10-01

White clover (Trifolium repens) is naturally polymorphic for cyanogenesis (hydrogen cyanide release following tissue damage). The ecological factors favouring cyanogenic and acyanogenic plants have been examined in numerous studies over the last half century, making this one of the best-documented examples of an adaptive polymorphism in plants. White clover cyanogenesis is controlled by two, independently segregating Mendelian genes: Ac/ac controls the presence/absence of cyanogenic glucosides; and Li/li controls the presence/absence of their hydrolysing enzyme, linamarase. In this study, we examine the molecular evolution and population genetics of Li as it relates to the cyanogenesis polymorphism. We report here that Li exists as a single-copy gene in plants possessing linamarase activity, and that the absence of enzyme activity in li/li plants is correlated with the absence of much or all of the gene from the white clover genome. Consistent with this finding, we confirm by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction that Li gene expression is absent in plants lacking enzyme activity. In a molecular population genetic analysis of Li and three unlinked genes using a worldwide sample of clover plants, we find an absence of nucleotide variation and statistically significant deviations from neutrality at Li; these findings are consistent with recent positive directional selection at this cyanogenesis locus.

White clover fractions as protein source for monogastrics - Dry matter digestibility and Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Scores

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stødkilde, Lene; Damborg, Vinni K; Jørgensen, Henry

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: The aim was to evaluate white clover as an alternative protein source for monogastrics. White clover plant and leaves were processed using a screw-press resulting in a solid pulp and a juice from which protein was acid-precipitated. The chemical composition of all fractions...... was determined and digestibility of dry matter (DM) and protein was assessed in an experiment with growing rats. RESULTS: Protein concentrates were produced with crude protein (CP) content of 451 g/kg DM and 530 g/kg DM for white clover plant and leaves, respectively and a pulp with CP content of 313 and 374 g...

Development of Genomic Resources in the Species of Trifolium L. and Its Application in Forage Legume Breeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leif Skøt

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Clovers (genus Trifolium are a large and widespread genus of legumes. A number of clovers are of agricultural importance as forage crops in grassland agriculture, particularly temperate areas. White clover (Trifolium repens L. is used in grazed pasture and red clover (T. pratense L. is widely cut and conserved as a winter feed. For the diploid red clover, genetic and genomic tools and resources have developed rapidly over the last five years including genetic and physical maps, BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome end sequence and transcriptome sequence information. This has paved the way for the use of genome wide selection and high throughput phenotyping in germplasm development. For the allotetraploid white clover progress has been slower although marker assisted selection is in use and relatively robust genetic maps and QTL (quantitative trait locus information now exist. For both species the sequencing of the model legume Medicago truncatula gene space is an important development to aid genomic, biological and evolutionary studies. The first genetic maps of another species, subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. have also been published and its comparative genomics with red clover and M. truncatula conducted. Next generation sequencing brings the potential to revolutionize clover genomics, but international consortia and effective use of germplasm, novel population structures and phenomics will be required to carry out effective translation into breeding. Another avenue for clover genomic and genetic improvement is interspecific hybridization. This approach has considerable potential with regard to crop improvement but also opens windows of opportunity for studies of biological and evolutionary processes.

Sleep in the Cape Mole Rat: A Short-Sleeping Subterranean Rodent.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruger, Jean-Leigh; Gravett, Nadine; Bhagwandin, Adhil; Bennett, Nigel C; Archer, Elizabeth K; Manger, Paul R

2016-01-01

The Cape mole rat Georychus capensis is a solitary subterranean rodent found in the western and southern Cape of South Africa. This approximately 200-gram bathyergid rodent shows a nocturnal circadian rhythm, but sleep in this species is yet to be investigated. Using telemetric recordings of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) in conjunction with video recordings, we were able to show that the Cape mole rat, like all other rodents, has sleep periods composed of both rapid eye movement (REM) and slow-wave (non-REM) sleep. These mole rats spent on average 15.4 h awake, 7.1 h in non-REM sleep and 1.5 h in REM sleep each day. Cape mole rats sleep substantially less than other similarly sized terrestrial rodents but have a similar percentage of total sleep time occupied by REM sleep. In addition, the duration of both non-REM and REM sleep episodes was markedly shorter in the Cape mole rat than has been observed in terrestrial rodents. Interestingly, these features (total sleep time and episode duration) are similar to those observed in another subterranean bathyergid mole rat, i.e. Fukomys mechowii. Thus, there appears to be a bathyergid type of sleep amongst the rodents that may be related to their environment and the effect of this on their circadian rhythm. Investigating further species of bathyergid mole rats may fully define the emerging picture of sleep in these subterranean African rodents. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Colonization of subterranean habitats by spiders in Central Europe

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Růžička, Vlastimil; Šmilauer, P.; Mlejnek, R.

2013-01-01

Roč. 42, č. 2 (2013), s. 133-140 ISSN 0392-6672 Grant - others:GA JU(CZ) GAJU 04-142/2010/P Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : superficial and deep subterranean habitats * caves * spider s Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 1.275, year: 2013 http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1288&context=ijs

Genetic variation of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) collections ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2010-05-24

May 24, 2010 ... incompatibility mechanism of disomic inheritance (Thomas,. 1987). In essence ..... Badr A, Sayed-Ahmed H, El-Shanshouri A, Watson LE (2002). Ancestors of white ... Caradus JR, Woodfield DR (1997). World checklist of ... within a natural population of white clover (Trifolium repense L). J. Ecol. 73: 615-624 ...

Growth of bermudagrass with white clover or nitrogen fertilizer

Science.gov (United States)

White clover (Trifolium repens) var ‘Durana’ was oversown into established bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) in 2009. Soil analysis indicated potassium (K) was low and potash at 112 and 336 kg/ha was added as main plots. Nitrogen as ammonium nitrate or an ammonium sulfate/urea blend was added as 0, 34...

Tool for treating subterranean wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muller, L.; Randermann, E.

1991-01-01

This paper describes a system for treating subterranean wells. It comprises: elongated treatment tool having inflatable packers, a support tube connected to one end of the tool operable to lower tool from a well head into a well and to supply liquid to tool, the tool providing valve means operable in response changes in tension ins aid tube and without rotating the tube sequentially: (a) inflate the packers to isolate one portion of the from the remaining portions thereof and to lock the against movement along the well; (b) inject treatment fluid supplied to the tool through support tube into the one portion of the well and (c) deflate the packers permitting further movement of tool along the well

Ozone and Water Stress: Effects on the Behaviour of Two White Clover Biotypes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Fagnano

Full Text Available ozone pollution, water stress, stomata conductance, ozone uptake, clover, OTC.Ozone is a strong oxidizing pollutant which derives by alteration of the photolytic NOx cycle and it accumulates in the troposphere spreading in rural areas and therefore determining injuries on natural vegetation and crops. Since its penetration occurs mainly through stomata, all factors which alter plant-atmosphere relations could be able to modify plant response to ozone. Interaction between ozone and water stress in Mediterranean environment was studied on ozone resistant and sensitive biotypes of white clover, which were grown in charcoal filtered and notfiltered Open Top Chambers in factorial combination with different levels of water supply. Measurements of biomass, leaf area and stomatal conductance were made during the growth period. Ozone injuries were estimated as not-filtered/filtered OTC yield ratio; the stomatal flux of ozone was estimated multiplying stomata conductance x diffusivity ratio between ozone and water vapour (0.613 x ozone hourly concentrations. The hourly values of ozone uptake were cumulated throughout the cropping periods of the two years. In the sensitive biotype, water stress reduced yield losses due to ozone from 38% to 22%, as well as yield losses due to water stress were reduced by the presence of ozone from 43% to 29%, while no interaction between ozone and water stress was observed in the resistant biotype. Biomass yield losses of the sensitive biotype were strictly correlated to cumulated ozone uptake (R2 = 0.99, while biomass yield losses of the resistant biotype were not affected by the ozone fluxes variations created by the treatments. Flux based models could better estimate yield losses due to ozone in Mediterranean environments in which other stresses could be contemporary present; therefore, the new European directives might replace the actual thresholds based

Nitrogen transfer via VA mycorrhiza hyphae link between roots of red clover

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Junling; Li Xiaolin; Yang Zhifu

1997-01-01

Five compartments with a air gap was designed to examine underground N transfer via VAM hyphae link between roots of red clover. 15 N was injected into the root compartment for donor plant 4 weeks after planting. Plants were harvested 6 weeks afterwards. The experiment had four treatments: two N levels (receiver root compartment); mycorrhiza and non-mycorrhiza treatment (B compartment), and each with four replicates. It was demonstrated that there was no significant difference in 15 N abundance in receiver red clover regardless of the inoculation of mycorrhiza fungi and nitrogen fertilization. Both shoot and root dry weight of receiver plants were not affected too, however, plant P and N nutrient status got better under this condition

Cleaning the Soil from Zinc Using Red Clovers “Arimaičiai”

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Audronė Mikalajūnė

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Zinc as a nutrition element is required to plants in small quantities to maintain normal functions of metabolism mechanisms. Our work analyses the efficiency of red clovers “Arimaičiai” for cleaning zinc from the soil contaminated with zinc under laboratory conditions. Seeds were sown in three differently polluted soils: clean soil, once contaminated with zinc and periodically contaminated with zinc soil. Zinc concentration in one time contaminated soil was 45 mg/kg. After 6 months of phytoremediation, the remained zinc concentration in the soil was 3 times lower comparing with the initial concentration. It was also determined that under such conditions, the uptake of red clovers made approximately 65% of zinc. Permanent soil contamination with zinc increased concentration before phytoremediation up to 80 mg/kg. After 6 months of phytoremediation, zinc concentration was determined to be 1.9 times lower. Otherwise, the soil was permanently contaminated with larger zinc quantities and after application of which reached 300 mg/kg. In this case, following half a year of phytoremediation, zinc concentration in the soil was 1.7 times lower comparing with the initial concentration after contamination. It was determined that the uptake of red clovers made approximately 17% of zinc.Article in Lithuanian

Kinetics and optimization of red clover pulp drying

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A. A. Shevtsov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The kinetics of the drying process conducted with bagasse red clover on an experimental dry¬er superheated steam at atmospheric pressure in the active hydrodynamic regimes were study¬ing. The rational intervals of parameter changes were obtained. The problem of optimization, which allowed allocating the optimum range of variation of the input factors according to three criteria through compromise was solved.

Salt tolerance in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) seedlings

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-15

Aug 15, 2011 ... This study was conducted to investigate the effect of salt stress on germination of 28 red clover. (Trifolium pratense ... tolerance with the aim of improving crop plants (Zhu,. 2001) or soil .... The interaction of salinity and population in terms of PI ... in shoot growth is probably due to hormonal signals generated ...

Determination of Mineral Contents of Some Legume and Cereal Forages Grown as Naturally in Pastures of Erzurum Province

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Esra GÜRSOY

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the mineral substances such as macro and micro minerals of legume and cereal forages grown as naturally in the pastures of Erzurum province. In present study, clover, (Medicago sativa, mountain hispanic sainfoin (Hedysarum elegans, bird vetch (Vicia cracca, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa, mountain vetch (Vicia alpestris, mountain clover (Trifolium montanum, caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum, the three-headed clover (Trifolium trichocephalum, tawny grass crown (Coronilla varia, the crown of the eastern horn of grass (Coronilla orientatis and yellow flowers gazelle (Lotus corniculatus from legume forages; cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata, crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum, red fescue (Festuca rubra, sheep ball (Festuca ovina, tawny bromine (Bromus variegatus, blue split (Agropyron intermedium, kelp tail grass (Phleum pratense, meadow bluegrass (Poa pratensis from cereal forages were investigated. The obtained data were subjected to an analysis of variance by using SPSS 12.0 package program. Significant differences between means were tested by using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. Macro minerals such as Nitrogen (N, Phosphorus (P, Potassium (K, Calcium (Ca, Magnesium (Mg and Sulfur (S assigned for legume forages changed between 2.39- 3.30%, 1.16-1.28%, 0.70-2.69%, 0.56-1.61%, 0.11-0.51% and 0.16-0.27%, respectively. The amounts of micro mineral like Iron (Fe, Virgin (Cu, Zinc (Zn, Manganese (Mn and Boron (B of legume forages were determined to be 105.9-893.7 ppm, 2.22-12.36 ppm, 14.11-195 ppm, 18.18-66.58 ppm and 5.91-40.39 ppm, respectively. Instances of macro minerals of cereal forages were found for N 1.76-of 2.19%, P 1.10-1.19%, K 1.99-3.25%, Ca 0.09-1.15%, Mg 0.07-0.26% and S 0.22-0.36% in present study. Micro minerals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn and B determined for cereal forages changed between 74.90-630.6 ppm, 4-9.84 ppm, 31.49-335.6 ppm, 24.63-94.51 ppm and 0.35-26.64 ppm, respectively. In conclusion

Subterranean ant nests: Trace fossils past and future?

OpenAIRE

Tschinkel, Walter R.

2003-01-01

Many species of ants excavate complex, species-typical nests in soil. The basic structural units of many nests are descending tunnels connecting flattened, generally horizontal chambers of oval to lobed outline. The species-typical structure of many nests results from variation in the size, shape, number and arrangement of these basic elements. Nest architecture can be rendered by filling subterranean nests with a thin slurry of orthodontal plaster, then excavating and reconstructing the hard...

Trees as indicators of subterranean migration of tritium at a commercial shallow land radioactive waste disposal site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rickard, W.H.; Kirby, L.J.

1984-09-01

Leaf water and tree sap collected from deciduous trees in a natural forest growing outside the fenced exclusion area of the Maxey Flats Waste Disposal Facility in eastern Kentucky, USA were radiochemically analyzed to detect movement of tritium via subterranean flows of water at depths of three meters. These data indicate that trees can be used to detect the subterranean migration of tritium from shallow land burial sites. 4 references, 5 figures, 1 table

The deep subterranean environment as a potential model system in ecological, biogeographical and evolutionary research

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David Sánchez-Fernández

2018-01-01

Full Text Available One of the main challenges in ecology, biogeography and evolution is to understand and predict how species may respond to environmental changes. Here we focus on the deep subterranean environment, a system that minimizes most of the typical uncertainties of studies on epigean (surface environments. Caves are relatively homogeneous habitats with nearly constant environmental conditions and simplified biological communities, allowing to control for biotic interactions. Thus, this particular system could be considered a natural habitat whose environmental conditions are similar to what can be reproduced in a laboratory, being an ideal model system for ecological, biogeographical and evolutionary studies. Subterranean species may potentially be used to assess the capability to persist in situ in a global change scenario, as they cannot accommodate to drastic changing conditions by behavioural plasticity, microhabitat use or by migrating to distant, more suitable areas, something frequent in epigean environments. In order to provide accurate predictions of the response of the subterranean biodiversity to climate change, we encourage evolutionary biologist, biogeographers and conservation biologist to work in this interesting ecosystem.

Estimating impact on clover-grass yield caused by traffic intensities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, R N; Green, Ole; Kristensen, Kristian

2009-01-01

Steer and a 15 m3 Kimadan slurry tanker on two axels, was used to perform the simulated traffic treatment on the parcels. The different traffic intensities are combinations of different tire pressure (1,0 and 2,5 bar), tire load (3000 and 6000 kg), time of year and number of passes (variating from 0 to 8...... components must be determined.   The objective of this paper was to measure yield affects on clover-grass as a consequence of different traffic intensities. The experiments were carried out in the context of a full scale field trial. A 14 hectare full scale grass-clover field trial with 24 different traffic......). The harvesting procedure was preformed with a Haldrup plot harvester modified with RTK-GPS. This paper shows the initial results from measuring the yield affects References M.A. Hamza, M.A.; Anderson, W.K 2005. Soil compaction in cropping systems: A review of the nature, causes and possible solutionsRaper , R...

Joseph Clover and the cobra: a tale of snake envenomation and attempted resuscitation with bellows in London, 1852.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, C

2010-07-01

The Industrial Revolution saw the creation of many new jobs, but probably none more curious than that of zookeeper. The London Zoological Gardens, established for members in 1828, was opened to the general public in 1847. In 1852 the "Head Keeper in the Serpent Room", Edward Horatio Girling, spent a night farewelling a friend departing for Australia. He arrived at work in an inebriated state and was bitten on the face by a cobra that he was handling in a less than sensible manner. He was taken by cab to University College Hospital where he was resuscitated by a number of doctors, including Joseph Clover then the resident medical officer to the hospital and later to become the leading anaesthetist in London. Clover recorded this event in his diary along with the resuscitation method used. The patient eventually died but his treatment created a flurry of correspondence in the medical and lay press. Interestingly, the attempted resuscitation was with bellows, which had been abandoned by the Royal Humane Society twenty years earlier Clover records other cases of resuscitation with bellows at University College Hospital during his time as a resident medical officer there (1848 to 1853). There is a casebook belonging to Joseph Clover in the Geoffrey Kaye Museum, in Melbourne. This story is one of the many interesting stories uncovered during a study of this book and Clover's other personal papers.

Assessment of dietary ratios of red clover and corn silages on milk production and milk quality in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Moorby, J M; Ellis, N M; Davies, D R

2016-10-01

Twenty-four multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were used in a replicated 3×3 Latin square changeover design experiment to test the effects of changing from corn (Zea mays) silage to red clover (Trifolium pratense) silage in graded proportions on feed intakes, milk production, and whole-body N and P partitioning. Three dietary treatments with ad libitum access to 1 of 3 forage mixtures plus a standard allowance of 4kg/d dairy concentrates were offered. The 3 treatment forage mixtures were, on a dry matter (DM) basis: (1) R10: 90% corn silage and 10% red clover silage, (2) R50: 50% corn silage and 50% red clover silage, and (3) R90: 10% corn silage and 90% red clover silage. In each of 3 experimental periods, there were 21d for adaptation to diets, and 7d for measurements. Diet crude protein intakes increased, and starch intakes decreased, as the silage mixture changed from 90% corn to 90% red clover, although the highest forage DM intakes and milk yields were achieved on diet R50. Although milk fat yields were unaffected by diet, milk protein yields were highest with the R 0250 diet. Whole-body partitioning of N was measured in a subset of cows (n=9), and both the daily amount and proportion of N consumed that was excreted in feces and urine increased as the proportion of red clover silage in the diet increased. However, the apparent efficiency of utilization of feed N for milk protein production decreased from 0.33g/g for diet R10 to 0.25g/g for diet R90. The urinary excretion of purine derivatives (sum of allantoin and uric acid) tended to increase, suggesting greater flow of microbial protein from the rumen, as the proportion of red clover silage in the diet increased, and urinary creatinine excretion was affected by diet. Fecal shedding of E. coli was not affected by dietary treatment. In conclusion, even though microbial protein flow may have been greatest from the R 0450 diet, optimum feed intakes and milk yields were achieved on a diet that contained a

Ventilation of subterranean CO2 and Eddy covariance incongruities over carbonate ecosystems

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F. Domingo

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Measurements of CO2 fluxes with Eddy Covariance (EC systems are ongoing over different ecosystems around the world, through different measuring networks, in order to assess the carbon balance of these ecosystems. In carbonate ecosystems, characterized by the presence of subterranean pores and cavities, ventilation of the CO2 accumulated in these cavities and pores can act as an extra source of CO2 exchange between the ecosystem and the atmosphere. In this work we analyse the effect of the subterranean heterogeneity of a carbonate ecosystem on measurements of CO2 fluxes by comparing measurements from two EC systems with distinct footprints. Results showed that both EC systems agreed for measurements of evapotranspiration and of CO2 in periods when respiratory and photosynthetic processes were dominant (biological periods, with a regression slope of 0.99 and 0.97, respectively. However, in periods when the main source of CO2 comes from the ventilation of subterranean pores and cavities (abiotic periods agreement is not good, with a regression slope of 0.6. Ground-penetrating radar measurements of the sub-surface confirmed the existence of high sub-surface heterogeneity that, combined with different footprints, lead to differences in the measurements of the two EC systems. These results show that measurements of CO2 fluxes with Eddy covariance systems over carbonate ecosystems must be taken carefully, as they may not be representative of the ecosystem under consideration.

Cool-season annual pastures with clovers to supplement wintering beef cows nursing calves

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Gunter Stacey A

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract In December of 3 years, 87 beef cows with nursing calves (594 ± 9.8 kg; calving season, September to November at side were stratified by body condition score, body weight, cow age, and calf gender and divided randomly into 6 groups assigned to 1 of 6 cool-season annual pastures (0.45 ha/cow that had been interseeded into a dormant common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers./bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge sod. Pastures contained 1 of the following 3 seeding mixtures (2 pastures/mixture: 1 wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., WRG, 2 wheat and ryegrass plus red clover (Trifolium pretense L., WRR, or 3 wheat and ryegrass plus white (Trifolium repens L. and crimson clovers (Trifolium incarnatum L., WRW. All groups had ad libitum access to grass hay (12% crude protein; 58% total digestible nutrients. The second week in December, cow estrous cycles were synchronized and artificially inseminated. In late December, a bull was placed with each group for 60-d. Data were analyzed with an analysis of variance using a mixed model containing treatment as the fixed effect and year as the random effect. Body weight and condition scores did not differ (P ≥ 0.27 among cows between February and June. Calf birth weights or average daily gain did not differ (P ≥ 0.17 among treatments; however, calves grazing pastures with clovers did tend (P = 0.06 to weigh more than calves grazing grass only. Weaning weight per cow exposed to a bull was greater (P = 0.02 for WRR and WRW than WRG. Cows grazing winter-annual pastures containing clovers tended to wean more calf body weight per cow exposed to a bull than cows grazing the grass only pastures.

Inhibitory potential of pure isoflavonoids, red clover, and alfalfa extracts on hemoglobin glycosylation

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Mohsen Hosseini

2015-03-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Non-enzymatic glycosylation of hemoglobin is complications of diabetes. Antioxidant system imbalance can result in the emergence of free radicals’ destructive effects in the long-term. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L. and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. contain isoflavonoids and have antioxidant activity. This experimental study evaluated the inhibitory activity of pure isoflavonoids (daidzein and genistein, red clover and alfalfa extracts on hemoglobin glycosylation. METHODS: This study was performed in Iran. Stock solution of hydroalcoholic extracts of red clover and alfalfa in concentrations of 1 and 10 g/100 ml and stock solution of daidzein and genistein in concentrations of 250 ng, 500 ng, 25 µg and 250 µg/100 ml were prepared as case groups. Control group was without hydroalcoholic extracts of plants and pure isoflavonoids. All experiments were performed in triplicate. Hemoglobin was prepared and antioxidant activities were investigated to estimate degree of nonenzymatic hemoglobin glycosylation. RESULTS: There was no significantly difference between used extracts (extract of red clover and alfalfa and control of the hemoglobin glycosylation but using daidzein (P = 0.046, 0.029 and 0.021, respectively and genistein (P = 0.034, 0.036 and 0.028 significantly inhibited (P < 0.050 this reaction in 25 µg/100 ml, 250 and 500 ng/100 ml concentrations when compared to control. in 25 µg/100 ml, 250 ng and 500 ng/100 ml concentrations percentage of inhibition were 32, 80 and 74.5% respectively with used of daidzein and were 21, 83 and 76% respectively with consumption of genistein. CONCLUSION: According to decrease of glycation of hemoglobin with isoflavonoids, two used plant in this study containing isoflavonoid may be useful on diabetes.   

Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitors Limit Water Stress Responses in White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Afsana; Leung, Susanna; Nikmatullah, Aluh; Dijkwel, Paul P; McManus, Michael T

2017-01-01

The response of plants to water deficiency or drought is a complex process, the perception of which is triggered at the molecular level before any visible morphological responses are detected. It was found that different groups of plant proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are induced and play an active role during abiotic stress conditions such as drought. Our previous work with the white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitor ( Tr-KPI ) gene family showed that Tr-KPIs are differentially regulated to ontogenetic and biotic stress associated cues and that, at least some members of this gene family may be required to maintain cellular homeostasis. Altered cellular homeostasis may also affect abiotic stress responses and therefore, we aimed to understand if distinct Tr-PKI members function during drought stress. First, the expression level of three Tr-KPI genes, Tr-KPI1 , Tr-KPI2 , and Tr-KPI5 , was measured in two cultivars and one white clover ecotype with differing capacity to tolerate drought. The expression of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 increased in response to water deficiency and this was exaggerated when the plants were treated with a previous period of water deficiency. In contrast, proline accumulation and increased expression of Tr-NCED1 , a gene encoding a protein involved in ABA biosynthesis, was delayed in plants that experienced a previous drought period. RNAi knock-down of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 resulted in increased proline accumulation in leaf tissue of plants grown under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. In addition, increased expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis was found. The data suggests that Tr-KPIs , particularly Tr-KPI5 , have an explicit function during water limitation. The results also imply that the Tr-KPI family has different in planta proteinase targets and that the functions of this protein family are not solely restricted to one of storage proteins or in response to biotic stress.

Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitors Limit Water Stress Responses in White Clover (Trifolium repens L. Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afsana Islam

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The response of plants to water deficiency or drought is a complex process, the perception of which is triggered at the molecular level before any visible morphological responses are detected. It was found that different groups of plant proteinase inhibitors (PIs are induced and play an active role during abiotic stress conditions such as drought. Our previous work with the white clover (Trifolium repens L. Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitor (Tr-KPI gene family showed that Tr-KPIs are differentially regulated to ontogenetic and biotic stress associated cues and that, at least some members of this gene family may be required to maintain cellular homeostasis. Altered cellular homeostasis may also affect abiotic stress responses and therefore, we aimed to understand if distinct Tr-PKI members function during drought stress. First, the expression level of three Tr-KPI genes, Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2, and Tr-KPI5, was measured in two cultivars and one white clover ecotype with differing capacity to tolerate drought. The expression of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 increased in response to water deficiency and this was exaggerated when the plants were treated with a previous period of water deficiency. In contrast, proline accumulation and increased expression of Tr-NCED1, a gene encoding a protein involved in ABA biosynthesis, was delayed in plants that experienced a previous drought period. RNAi knock-down of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 resulted in increased proline accumulation in leaf tissue of plants grown under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. In addition, increased expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis was found. The data suggests that Tr-KPIs, particularly Tr-KPI5, have an explicit function during water limitation. The results also imply that the Tr-KPI family has different in planta proteinase targets and that the functions of this protein family are not solely restricted to one of storage proteins or in response to biotic stress.

Enchytraeids as indicator of soil quality in temporary organic grass-clover leys under contrasting management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maraldo, Kristine; Schmelz, Rüdiger; Larsen, Thomas

2015-01-01

One objective in organic farming is to sustain the quality of the soil resource. Because enchytraeids are an important soil faunal component, they stand as bioindicators of soil quality. We tested this candidature in a field experiment on loamy sand soil with 1- and 4-year old grass-clover leys...... interactions among soil physical, chemical and biological properties suggest that enchytraeid abundance is not a feasible stand-alone indicator of management impacts on soil quality in temporary grass-clover leys but may candidate as one of several biological key parameters in more comprehensive soil quality...

A survey of the invertebrates feeding on living clover roots (Trifolium repens L.) using 32P as a radiotracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baylis, J.P.; Cherrett, J.M.; Ford, J.B.

1986-01-01

Clover roots were labelled in the field with 32 P and the radioactive soil fauna were detected by autoradiography. The animals which consumed labelled clover roots were, in order of importance, earthworms (Aporrectodea longa, A. caliginosa and Lumbricus rubellus), weevil larvae, dipteran larvae (Bibio marci) and a few Collembola (family: Entomobryidae). (author)

Trees as indicators of subterranean water flow from a retired radioactive waste disposal site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rickard, W.H.; Kirby, L.J.

1987-01-01

Tree sampling helped locate a subterranean flow of tritiated water from a low-level radioactive waste disposal site that had not been detected by well water monitoring alone. Deciduous trees growing in a natural forest on the hillsides downslope from the site were sampled for the presence of tritiated water in sap of maple trees and in leaf water extracted from oak and hickory trees. Elevated concentrations of 3 H were detected in the leaf water extracted from several trees located 50 m downslope from the western boundary of the fenced exclusion zone. A 3-m-deep well drilled near these trees indicated that the source of tritiated water was a narrow zone of subterranean flow

Does subterranean flow initiate mud banks off the southwest coast of India?

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Balachandran, K.K.

Coastal waters off the southwest coast of India draw special attention because of the occurrence of mud banks at certain locations during southwest monsoon period. The present study puts forward a hypothesis of a subterranean flow, which could be a...

Digital Levelling in Subterranean Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomáš Jiřikovský

2007-06-01

Full Text Available For precision levelling works are now more often used digital levels and code-scale staffs. Advantages in (and problems with their application to the regular line-levelling are well known and described. However, when using the digital levelling for measurements in specific local geodetic networks, monitoring networks and inside of buildings and underground spaces, new problems appear with the signalisation of the observed points, readability of the code (non-uniform illumination, temperature changes etc. The article informs about the application of two types of digital levels (Sokkia SDL-2, Trimble Zeiss DiNi 12T in the experimental subterranean levelling network for the basement settlement monitoring of a ten-floor building; the solution of marking of the points, field calibration and the system calibration of digital levels.

White clover fractions as protein source for monogastrics: dry matter digestibility and protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Stødkilde, Lene; Damborg, Vinni K; Jørgensen, Henry; Laerke, Helle N; Jensen, Søren K

2018-05-01

The present study aimed to evaluate the use of white clover as an alternative protein source for monogastrics. White clover plant and leaves were processed using a screw-press resulting in a solid pulp and a juice from which protein was acid-precipitated. The chemical composition of all fractions was determined and digestibility of dry matter (DM) and protein was assessed in an experiment with growing rats. Protein concentrates were produced with crude protein (CP) contents of 451 g kg -1 and 530 g kg -1 DM for white clover plant and leaves, respectively, and a pulp with CP contents of 313 and 374 g kg -1 DM from plant and leaves, respectively. The amino acid composition ranged from 4.72 to 6.49 g per 16 g of nitrogen (N) for lysine, 1.82-2.6 g per 16 g N for methionine and cysteine, and 3.66-5.24 g per 16 g N for threonine. True faecal digestibility of protein varied from 0.81 to 0.88, whereas DM digestibility was in the range 0.72-0.80. Methionine and cysteine were found to be limiting in all fractions, regardless of the reference group used. A high digestibility of white clover protein was found irrespective of the physical fractionation. Together with a well-balanced amino acid composition, this makes white clover a promising protein source for monogastrics. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigation of Amino Acids As Herbicides for Control of Orobanche minor Parasitism in Red Clover.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Aparicio, Mónica; Bernard, Alexandre; Falchetto, Laurent; Marget, Pascal; Chauvel, Bruno; Steinberg, Christian; Morris, Cindy E; Gibot-Leclerc, Stephanie; Boari, Angela; Vurro, Maurizio; Bohan, David A; Sands, David C; Reboud, Xavier

2017-01-01

Certain amino acids induce inhibitory effects in plant growth due to feedback inhibition of metabolic pathways. The inhibition patterns depend on plant species and the plant developmental stage. Those amino acids with inhibitory action on specific weeds could be utilized as herbicides, however, their use for weed control has not been put into practice. Orobanche minor is a weed that parasitizes red clover. O. minor germination is stimulated by clover root exudates. The subsequent seedling is an obligated parasite that must attach quickly to the clover root to withdraw its nutrients. Early development of O. minor is vulnerable to amino acid inhibition and therefore, a series of in vitro , rhizotron, and field experiments were conducted to investigate the potential of amino acids to inhibit O. minor parasitism. In in vitro experiments it was found that among a collection of 20 protein amino acids, lysine, methionine and tryptophan strongly interfere with O. minor early development. Field research confirmed their inhibitory effect but revealed that methionine was more effective than lysine and tryptophan, and that two successive methionine applications at 308 and 543 growing degree days inhibited O. minor emergence in red clover up to 67%. We investigated additional effects with potential to influence the practical use of amino acids against broomrape weeds, whether the herbicidal effect may be reversible by other amino acids exuded by host plants or may be amplified by inducing host resistance barriers against O. minor penetration. This paper suggests that amino acids may have the potential to be integrated into biorational programs of broomrape management.

Investigation of Amino Acids As Herbicides for Control of Orobanche minor Parasitism in Red Clover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mónica Fernández-Aparicio

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Certain amino acids induce inhibitory effects in plant growth due to feedback inhibition of metabolic pathways. The inhibition patterns depend on plant species and the plant developmental stage. Those amino acids with inhibitory action on specific weeds could be utilized as herbicides, however, their use for weed control has not been put into practice. Orobanche minor is a weed that parasitizes red clover. O. minor germination is stimulated by clover root exudates. The subsequent seedling is an obligated parasite that must attach quickly to the clover root to withdraw its nutrients. Early development of O. minor is vulnerable to amino acid inhibition and therefore, a series of in vitro, rhizotron, and field experiments were conducted to investigate the potential of amino acids to inhibit O. minor parasitism. In in vitro experiments it was found that among a collection of 20 protein amino acids, lysine, methionine and tryptophan strongly interfere with O. minor early development. Field research confirmed their inhibitory effect but revealed that methionine was more effective than lysine and tryptophan, and that two successive methionine applications at 308 and 543 growing degree days inhibited O. minor emergence in red clover up to 67%. We investigated additional effects with potential to influence the practical use of amino acids against broomrape weeds, whether the herbicidal effect may be reversible by other amino acids exuded by host plants or may be amplified by inducing host resistance barriers against O. minor penetration. This paper suggests that amino acids may have the potential to be integrated into biorational programs of broomrape management.

[Characteristics and Transport Patterns of Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and Inorganic Nitrogen Flux at Epikarst Springs and a Subterranean Stream in Nanshan, Chongqing].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuan-zhu; He, Qiu-fang; Jiang, Yong-jun; Li, Yong

2016-04-15

In a karst groundwater system, it develops complex multiple flows because of its special geological structure and unique physical patterns of aquifers. In order to investigate the characteristics and transport patterns of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in epikarst water and subterranean stream, the water samples were collected monthly in a fast-urbanizing karst region. The results showed distinctive characteristics of three forms of inorganic nitrogen. The concentration of inorganic nitrogen was stable in the epikarst water while it was fluctuant in the subterranean stream. Epikarst water was less affected by rainfall and sewage compared with subterranean stream. In epikarst water, the nitrate concentration was much higher than the ammonia concentration. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, mainly from non-point source pollution related to agricultural activities, passed in and out of the epikarst water based on a series of physical; chemical and biological processes in the epikarst zone, such as ammonification, adsorption and nitrification. On the contrary, subterranean stream showed a result of NH₄⁺-N > NO₃⁻-N in dry seasons and NO₃⁻-N > NH₄⁺-N in rainy seasons. This can be due to the fact that sanitary and industrial sewage flowed into subterranean river through sinkholes, fissures and grikes in dry season. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen in subterranean river was mainly from the non-point source pollution in wet season. Non-point source pollutants entered into subterranean water by two transport ways, one by penetration along with vadose flow through fissures and grikes, and the other by conduit flow through sinkholes from the surface runoff, soil water flow and epikarst flow. The export flux of DIN was 56.05 kg · (hm² · a)⁻¹, and NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N accounted for 46.03% and 52.51%, respectively. The contributions of point-source pollution and non point-source pollution to the export flux of DIN were 25.08% and 74.92%, respectively, based on run

Genetic variations between two ecotypes of Egyptian clover by inter ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aghomotsegin

2015-06-10

Jun 10, 2015 ... Four Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L) cultivars representing two ecotypes were used in the present study. Fahl cultivar is prevalent in whole Egypt and is good for single cut as it has poor regeneration ability, whereas Serw1, Giza6 and Gemmiza1 give 5-6 cuts of good fodder. Techniques based ...

Simulation of nitrogen attenuation in a subterranean estuary, representative of the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Colman, John A.; Carlson, Carl S.; Robinson, C.

2015-01-01

A two-dimensional model was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to assess flow and chemical reaction associated with groundwater discharge through the subterranean estuary representative of coastal salt ponds of southern Cape Cod. The model simulated both the freshwater and saltwater flow systems and accounted for density-dependent flow, tidal fluctuation, and chemical reactivity among oxygen, dissolved organic carbon, nitrate, and ammonia. Not previously incorporated into one model, the interaction of these effects can now be simulated in the subterranean estuary context.

Relationship between nitrogen cycling and nitrous oxide emission in grass-clover pasture

OpenAIRE

Ambus, P.

2005-01-01

The paper reports on a work assessing the relationship between gross N transformations in grass-clover soils and emissions of nitrous oxide. By this manner, the source strength of the biogenic processes responsible for nitrous oxide production is evaluated.

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of wildland collections of western and Searls prairie clovers for rangeland revegetation in the western USA

Science.gov (United States)

Kishor Bhattarai

2010-01-01

Western prairie clover [Dalea ornata (Douglas ex Hook.) Eaton & J. Wright] is a perennial legume that occurs in the northern Great Basin, Snake River Basin, and southern Columbia Plateau, whereas Searls prairie clover [Dalea searlsiae (A. Gray) Barneby], also a perennial legume, occurs in the southern Great Basin and surrounding areas. Understanding the genetic and...

Aquatic biota of different karst habitats in epigean and subterranean systems of Central Brazil – visibility versus relevance of taxa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiza Simões

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The karstic area of São Domingos, central Brazil, holds extensive drainage systems. In order to understand its biodiversity, various volumes of water were filtered with planktonic nets in stretches of subterranean and superficial rivers on five different occasions. We sampled four drips (152L, three calcite pools (368L, two subterranean rivers fed mainly by percolation water (6,395L, two subterranean rivers fed mainly by water coming from a sinkhole (4,175L along different caves, one resurgence (158L, and four epigean rivers (101,690L. Physical and chemical variables were measured at some sites. Canonical Correlation Analysis was used to verify relationships between taxa and environment. The degree of similarity of the biota was assessed by cluster analysis (Sorensen, single linkage. There were records of exclusive taxa in epigean and subterranean samples, mainly in drips, which harbour the most unique fauna. The high richness of taxa presently recorded reveals the potential of the vadose zone biota in the tropical region, which was neglected in studies on Brazilian subterranean biodiversity. According to our results, the unsaturated zone tropical fauna may have different composition compared to that from temperate habitats. The studied communities were dominated by rotifers, while crustacean are predominant in the latter. The hypothesis can be clarified with the increase of long term studies and taxa identification at species level, besides the use of complementary sampling methods.

Tunneling behavior of the formosan subterranean termite (isoptera: rhinotermitadae) in dry soil

Science.gov (United States)

This study examines the effect of dry soil on tunnel construction by the Formosan subterranean termite, Cptotermes formosanus. Termites did not construct tunnels in dry soil in any of the treatments. Termites only constructed tunnels in moist areas in treatments where the soil was partially moistene...

Assessment of Protective Effect of Some Modern Agrochemicals against Ozone-Induced Stress in Sensitive Clover and Tobacco Cultivars

OpenAIRE

Blum, Oleg; Didyk, Nataliya; Pavluchenko, Nataliya; Godzik, Barbara

2011-01-01

Some modern agrochemicals with antioxidant potential were tested for their protective effect against ozone injury using clover and tobacco ozone-sensitive cultivars as model plants subjected to ambient ozone at two sites (Kyiv city in Ukraine and Szarów village in Poland). All used agrochemicals showed partial protective effects against ozone injury on clover and tobacco. Conducted studies confirmed the effectiveness of modern fungicides belonging to strobilurin group as protectants of sensit...

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of red clover necrotic mosaic virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Stanton L.; Guenther, Richard H.; Sit, Tim L.; Swartz, Paul D.; Meilleur, Flora; Lommel, Steven A.; Rose, Robert B.

2010-01-01

Virions of red clover necrotic mosaic virus have been purified and crystallized. The space group was determined to be I23, with unit-cell parameter a = 377.8 Å. The crystals diffracted to 4 Å resolution. Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) is a species that belongs to the Tombusviridae family of plant viruses with a T = 3 icosahedral capsid. RCNMV virions were purified and were crystallized for X-ray analysis using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method. Self-rotation functions and systematic absences identified the space group as I23, with two virions in the unit cell. The crystals diffracted to better than 4 Å resolution but were very radiation-sensitive, causing rapid decay of the high-resolution reflections. The data were processed to 6 Å in the analysis presented here

Cumulative effects of white clover residues on the changes in soil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-05-18

May 18, 2009 ... The residual effects of white clover on soil properties indicated a significant increase in saturation percentage (17–23%) and .... determined by leaching the soil with KCl followed by extraction of ...... accumulation, and oil quality of French basil. ... of the Final Workshop of the Farming System Integrated Pest.

Effect of red clover on the microbial transformation of phenanthrene and octadecane in the soil

Science.gov (United States)

Nazarov, A. V.; Shestakova, E. A.; Anan'yina, L. N.

2017-08-01

The influence of red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) plants on the decomposition of phenanthrene and octadecane in the soil has been studied. Effect of plant root mass on the abundance of hydrocarbondegrading bacteria, the composition of their communities, and the degradation of hydrocarbons in the soil has been revealed. Changes in the taxonomic composition of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria under the effect of red clover are characterized by an increase in the abundance of species from the genera Acinetobacter, Kaistia, Novosphingobium, Pseudomonas, and Xanthomonas. A positive effect of the studied microbial-plant association on the degradation of octadecane and especially phenanthrene in the soil has been revealed.

Assessment of soil phosphorus tests for situations in Australia where reactive phosphate rock and water-soluble fertilizers are used

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, M.J.

2002-01-01

A selection of commonly used soil P tests, which included anion and cation exchange resin membranes, were compared in a glasshouse experiment using subterranean clover, and evaluated in the field at 19 sites from the National Reactive Phosphate Rock Project in 1993 and at 6 sites in 1995. The ability of the soil P tests to predict plant response was used to evaluate the tests. In the glasshouse experiment, the resin test was less effective than the Bray and Colwell tests in its ability to assess the level of plant available P from the different fertilizer treatments. Seventy one percent of the variation in total P content of the subterranean clover tops was explained by resin extractable P values, whereas the Colwell procedure accounted for 81% and the Bray 1 procedure accounted for 78%. Water and CaCl 2 extracts were poor predictors of P content. In the field experiments, all tests evaluated performed poorly in describing the relationship between soil test P and the level of P applied and relative yield and soil test P over a wide range of soil types and environments. The best performing test was the Bray 1 test, though the relationship was poor. (author)

Experimental infrared measurements for hydrocarbon pollutant determination in subterranean waters

OpenAIRE

Lay-Ekuakille, A.; Palamara, I.; Caratelli, D.; Morabito, F.C.

2013-01-01

Subterranean waters are often polluted by industrial and anthropic effluents that are drained in subsoil. To prevent and control pollution, legislations of different developed countries require an online monitoring measurement, especially for detecting organic solvents (chlorinated and unchlorinated ones). Online measurements include both real-time and no real-time measurements. In general, it is difficult to implement real-time measurements in stricto sensu for online acquisitions on aqueous...

Transcription of Biotic Stress Associated Genes in White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) Differs in Response to Cyst and Root-Knot Nematode Infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Afsana; Mercer, Chris F; Leung, Susanna; Dijkwel, Paul P; McManus, Michael T

2015-01-01

The transcription of four members of the Kunitz proteinase inhibitor (KPI) gene family of white clover (Trifolium repens L.), designated as Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2, Tr-KPI4 and Tr-KPI5, was investigated at both local infection (roots) and systemic (leaf tissue) sites in white clover in response to infection with the clover root knot nematode (CRKN) Meloidogyne trifoliophila and the clover cyst nematode (CCN) Heterodera trifolii. Invasion by the CRKN resulted in a significant decrease in transcript abundance of Tr-KPI4 locally at both 4 days post-infection (dpi) and at 8 dpi, and an increase in transcription of Tr-KPI1 systemically at 8 dpi. In contrast, an increase in transcript abundance of all four Tr-KPI genes locally at 4 and 8 dpi, and an increase of Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2, and Tr-KPI5 at 8 dpi systemically was observed in response to infection with the CCN. Challenge of a resistant (R) genotype and a susceptible (S) genotype of white clover with the CCN revealed a significant increase in transcript abundance of all four Tr-KPI genes locally in the R genotype, while an increase in abundance of only Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2, and Tr-KPI5 was observed in the S genotype, and only at 4 dpi. The transcript abundance of a member of the1-AMINOCYCLOPROPANE-1-CARBOXYLATE (ACC) SYNTHASE gene family from white clover (Tr-ACS1) was significantly down-regulated locally in response to CRKN infection at 4 and 8 dpi and at 4 dpi, systemically, while abundance increased locally and systemically at 8 dpi in response to CCN challenge. Conversely, the abundance of the jasmonic acid (JA) signalling gene, CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE PROTEIN 1 from white clover (Tr-COI1) increased significantly at 8 dpi locally in response to CRKN infection, but decreased at 8 dpi in response to CCN infection. The significance of this differential regulation of transcription is discussed with respect to differences in infection strategy of the two nematode species.

Methane- and dissolved organic carbon-fueled microbial loop supports a tropical subterranean estuary ecosystem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brankovits, D.; Pohlman, J.W.; Niemann, H.; Leigh, M.B.; Leewis, M.C.; Becker, K.W.; Iliffe, T.M.; Alvarez, F.; Lehmann, M.F.; Phillips, B.

2017-01-01

Subterranean estuaries extend inland into density-stratified coastal carbonate aquifers containing a surprising diversity of endemic animals (mostly crustaceans) within a highly oligotrophic habitat. How complex ecosystems (termed anchialine) thrive in this globally distributed, cryptic environment

Non-conservative behavior of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) within a subterranean estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Suryaputra, I. G. N. A.; Santos, I. R.; Huettel, M.; Burnett, W. C.; Dittmar, T.

2015-11-01

The role of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in releasing fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) to the coastal ocean and the possibility of using FDOM as a proxy for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was investigated in a subterranean estuary in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (Turkey Point, Florida). FDOM was continuously monitored for three weeks in shallow beach groundwater and in the adjacent coastal ocean. Radon (222Rn) was used as a natural groundwater tracer. FDOM and DOC correlated in groundwater and seawater samples, implying that FDOM may be a proxy of DOC in waters influenced by SGD. A mixing model using salinity as a seawater tracer revealed FDOM production in the high salinity region of the subterranean estuary. This production was probably a result of infiltration and transformation of labile marine organic matter in the beach sediments. The non-conservative FDOM behavior in this subterranean estuary differs from most surface estuaries where FDOM typically behaves conservatively. At the study site, fresh and saline SGD delivered about 1800 mg d-1 of FDOM (quinine equivalents) to the coastal ocean per meter of shoreline. About 11% of this input was related to fresh SGD, while 89% were related to saline SGD resulting from FDOM production within the shallow aquifer. If these fluxes are representative of the Florida Gulf Coast, SGD-derived FDOM fluxes would be equivalent to at least 18% of the potential regional riverine FDOM inputs. To reduce uncertainties related to the scarcity of FDOM data, further investigations of river and groundwater FDOM inputs in Florida and elsewhere are necessary.

Effect of Plant Density on Growth Characteristics and Yield of Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L. and Persian Clover (Trifolium resupinatum L. Intercropping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

f Hassanzadeh Aval

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract In order to evaluate intercropping of summer savory (Satureja hortensis L. and Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L., an experiment was conducted in the Agricultural Research Station of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2004 growing season. Treatments were sole cropping of Persian clover (eight rows, double-row intercropping of Persian clover and summer savory with 27, 40 and 80 plants.m-2 (eight rows and sole cropping of summer savory with 27, 40 and 80 plants m-2 (eight rows. For this purpose a complete randomized block design with 4 replications was used. Shoot and stem percentage of summer savory in sole crop treatments were significantly higher than in intercrop. In sole crop treatments, these parameters decreased by increasing plant density, in contrast to the intercrop. Leaf percentage and leaf and flower to stem ratio of summer savory in sole crop treatments were significantly lower than in intercrop. In sole crop treatments, these parameters were increased by increasing plant density, in contrast to intercrop. Effect of different treatments on essential oil percentage of summer savory was not significant. In sole cropping of Persian clover treatment, dry weight of vegetative organs and stem percentage of Persian clover in the first harvest, was lower than other treatments. By decreasing plant density these parameters were decreased in intercropping. In the second and third harvests a reversed pattern was observed. The highest Area Time Equivalent Ratio was obtained in intercropping of persian clover and summer savory with 27 plants.m-2. Keywords: Intercropping, Plant density, Satureja hortensis, Trifolium resupinatum, Essential oil percentage, Area Time Equivalent Ratio

Preferential flow, nitrogen transformations and 15N balance under urine-affected areas of irrigated and non-irrigated clover-based pastures

Science.gov (United States)

Pakro, Naser; Dillon, Peter

1995-12-01

Urine-affected areas can lead to considerable losses of N by leaching, ammonia volatilisation and denitrification from dairy pastures in the southeast of South Australia. Potable groundwater supplies are considered to have become contaminated by nitrate as a result of leaching from these leguminous pastures. Dairy cow urine, labelled with 15N urea, was applied to micro-plots and mini-lysimeters installed in two adjacent irrigated (white clover-rye grass) and non-irrigated (subterranean clover-annual grasses) paddocks of a dairy farm on four occasions representing different seasonal conditions. These experiments allowed measurement of nitrogen transformations, recovery of 15N in the pasture and soil, and leaching below various depths. Gaseous losses were calculated from the nitrogen balance. The results of the four experiments showed that within a day of urine application up to 40% of the applied urinary-N was leached below a depth of 150 mm as a result of macropore flow in the irrigated paddock, and up to 24% in the non-irrigated one. After application to the irrigated paddock 17% of the urinary-N moved immediately below 300 mm but only 2% below the 450-mm depth. The urinary-N remaining in the soil was converted from urea to ammonium within a day regardless of season. Within the first 7 days of application six times more nitrate was produced in summer than in winter. This has obvious implications for leaching potential. Leaching of 15N from the top 150 mm of soil, following urine applications in all seasons, was between 41% and 62% of the applied 15N in the irrigated paddock and 25-51% in the non-irrigated paddock. However, leaching losses measured at depths of 300 or 450 mm were smaller by a factor of 2-4. The leaching loss of 15N applied in spring in both paddocks was 41% below 150 mm and 12% below 450 mm. Recovery of 15N from the soil-plant system in the 450-nm deep lysimeters was ˜60% of that applied. Estimated ammonia was ˜9% of applied 15N with no paddock

Analysis of the soil food web structure under grass and grass clover

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eekeren, van N.J.M.; Smeding, F.W.; Vries, de F.T.; Bloem, J.

2006-01-01

The below ground biodiversity of soil organisms plays an important role in the functioning of the the soil ecosystem, and consequently the above ground plant production. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of grass or grass-clover in combination with fertilisation on the soil

Effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on red clover and its rhizobial symbiont

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moll, Janine; Okupnik, Annette; Gogos, Alexander; Knauer, Katja; Bucheli, Thomas D.; Van Der Heijden, Marcel G A; Widmer, Franco

2016-01-01

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are in consideration to be used in plant protection products. Before these products can be placed on the market, ecotoxicological tests have to be performed. In this study, the nitrogen fixing bacterium Rhizobium trifolii and red clover were exposed to two

Characterisation of a compton suppressed clover detector for high energy gamma rays (5 MeV ≤ E ≤ 11 MeV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha Sarkar, M.; Kshetri, Ritesh; Raut, Rajarshi; Mukherjee, A.; Goswami, A.; Ray, S.; Basu, P.; Majumder, H.; Bhattacharya, S.; Dasmahapatra, B.; Sinha, Mandira; Ray, Maitreyee

2004-01-01

The Clover detectors in their add back mode have been seen to be excellent tools for detecting high energy gamma rays (≥ 2 MeV). Recently studies were carried out on the characteristics of a Compton suppressed Clover germanium detector up to 5 MeV using a radioactive 66 Ga (T 1/2 =9.41 h) source for the first time

Towards integrated pest management in red clover seed production.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundin, Ola; Rundlöf, Maj; Smith, Henrik G; Bommarco, Riccardo

2012-10-01

The development of integrated pest management is hampered by lack of information on how insect pest abundances relate to yield losses, and how pests are affected by control measures. In this study, we develop integrated pest management tactics for Apion spp. weevils (Coleoptera: Brentidae) in seed production of red clover, Trifolium pratense L. We tested a method to forecast pest damage, quantified the relationship between pest abundance and yield, and evaluated chemical and biological pest control in 29 Swedish red clover fields in 2008 and 2011. Pest inflorescence abundance, which had a highly negative effect on yield, could be predicted with pan trap catches of adult pests. In 2008, chemical control with typically one application of pyrethroids was ineffective both in decreasing pest abundances and in increasing yields. In 2011, when chemical control included applications of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid, pest abundances decreased and yields increased considerably in treated field zones. A post hoc analysis indicated that using pyrethroids in addition to thiacloprid was largely redundant. Infestation rates by parasitoids was higher and reached average levels of around 40% in insecticide treated field zones in 2011, which is a level of interest for biological pest control. Based on the data presented, an economic threshold for chemical control is developed, and guidelines are provided on minimum effective chemical pest control.

Forbs enhance productivity of unfertilised grass-clover leys and support low-carbon bioenergy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cong, Wen-Feng; Jing, Jingying; Rasmussen, Jim

2017-01-01

Intensively managed grasslands are dominated by highly productive grass-clover mixtures. Increasing crop diversity by inclusion of competitive forbs may enhance biomass production and sustainable biofuel production. Here we examined if one or all of three forbs (chicory, Cichorium intybus L.; car...

Modelling Gene Flow between Fields of White Clover with Honeybees as Pollen Vectors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løjtnant, Christina; Boelt, Birte; Clausen, Sabine Karin

2012-01-01

The portion-dilution model is a parametric restatement of the conventional view of animal pollination; it predicts the level of pollinator-mediated gene dispersal. In this study, the model was applied to white clover (Trifolium repens) and its most frequent pollinator, the honeybee (Apis mellifera......). One of the three parameters in the portion-dilution model is the mean number of flowers a pollinator visits in one foraging bout. An alternative method to estimate this parameter was developed that was not depending on pollinator hive-seeking behaviour. The new estimation method, based on nectar......% with an estimated 95% percentile of 70%. The results show that the European Union threshold limit of 0.9% GM admixture for food and feed will likely be exceeded at times and especially organic farmers that do not accept GM admixture and often have clover and clover–grass fields might face challenges with admixture...

Effects of field characteristics on abundance of bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and seed yield in red clover fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wermuth, Kirsten Haugaard; Dupont, Yoko L.

2010-01-01

Red clover is a key floral ressource for bumblebees (Bombus spp.).We here investigate variation within and among red clover fields in species richness and abundance of Bombus spp. in addition to Apis mellifera. Bumblebee individuals were grouped into the following functional groups, based on castes...... and tongue length: (1) all queens, (2) all workers, (3) short-tongued workers and (4) long-tongued workers. In 14 study fields, no spatial or diurnal within-field differences were found in abundances of bee groups. However, seasonal differences were detected. On average 6.3±0.6 Bombus spp. were observed...

Catnip essential oil as a barrier to subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

C.J. Peterson; J. Ems-Wilson

2003-01-01

The essential oil of catnip, Nepeta cataria (Lamiacae) was evaluated for behavioral effects on two populations of subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and R. virginicus (Banks) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). The catnip essential oil contained =36: 64 E,Z-nepetalactone and Z,E-nepetalactone,...

Environmental Impact Research Program: White Clover (Trifolium repens). Section 7.3.5, US Army Corps of Engineers Wildlife Resources Management Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-07-01

types where they are common (Kohn and Mooty 1971). Rumen analyses of white-tailed deer in Montana showed that forbs comprised 80% of summer samples...frequency of occurrence in deer rumens collected from January through March in the Northern Black Hills. Bluegrass- white clover meadows are also...CAUTIONS AND LIMITATIONS White clover, like most legumes, occasionally causes bloat in animals, particularly cattle and sheep that have overfilled

Effects of oil sands effluent on cattail and clover: photosynthesis and the level of stress proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crowe, A.U.; Han, B.; Kermode, A.R.; Bendell-Young, L.I.; Plant, A.L. [Simon Fraser University, Burnaby (Canada). Dept. of Biological Sciences

2001-07-01

The oil sands industry located in northeastern Alberta, Canada, generates large volumes of effluent characterized by a high level of dissolved ions and naphthenic acids. The dikes used to store the effluent seep, creating wetlands which are subsequently invaded by obligate wetland flora such as cattail (Typha latifolia L.). The appearance of these wetlands prompted the oil sands industry to consider wetlands as part of their reclamation strategy. However, to ensure long-term viability of such wetlands, the response of the flora to the industrial effluent needed to be determined. To this end, apparent photosynthesis (APS), the level of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCo) large subunit, dehydrin-related polypeptides, and protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) were evaluated in cattail and alsike clover plants (Trifolium hybridum L.) exposed to the oil sands effluent. APS measured in plants impacted by oil sands effluent was significantly higher than that of plants in the non-impacted off-site location. Among the on-site locations, plants growing in the natural wetlands site had higher APS compared to all other sites. The level of RuBisCo was not increased in cattail or clover growing in effluent-contaminated sites indicating that enhanced photosynthesis was not due to greater levels of this enzyme. Dehydrin-related polypeptides were detected only in the roots of cattail and were absent in clover. The polypeptide profile was altered in cattail exposed to oil sands effluent indicating that they were responding to an osmotic stress. The level of PDI was unaffected in the leaves of cattail regardless of the nature of the effluent to which they were exposed. Overall, the data indicate that cattail and clover are adapted to the oil sands effluent, although further studies are needed to assess their long-term ability to survive in the presence of this anthropogenic stress. (Author)

The "clover technique" as a novel approach for correction of post-traumatic tricuspid regurgitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Alfieri, O; De Bonis, M; Lapenna, E; Agricola, E; Quarti, A; Maisano, F

2003-07-01

To describe a novel technique, named "clover," to correct complex post-traumatic tricuspid valve lesions. Five patients with severe post-traumatic tricuspid insufficiency underwent valve reconstruction with the clover technique, a new surgical approach that consists of stitching together the middle point of the free edges of the tricuspid leaflets, producing a clover-shaped valve. The mechanism of tricuspid regurgitation was complex in all patients, and right ventricular function was always moderately to severely depressed. An echocardiographic study was performed after cardiopulmonary bypass, at discharge, and at follow-up. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was 32 +/- 6.3 minutes and crossclamp time was 23 +/- 7.4. There was no hospital mortality or morbidity. Intraoperative transesophageal and predischarge transthoracic echocardiography showed perfect results in all patients. No late deaths occurred. At the latest follow-up, extending to 14.2 months (mean 11.3; median 12.4), all patients were asymptomatic (New York Heart Association class I) with trivial (2 patients) or no residual regurgitation (3 patients) on 2-dimensional echocardiogram. No transvalvular gradient was revealed in any patient. A significant reduction of the right ventricular end-diastolic dimensions was noted as well (from 54 +/- 7.1 mm to 40 +/- 7.5 mm, P tricuspid valve repair in case of severe traumatic tricuspid valve insufficiency, leading to very satisfactory mid-term results even in the presence of complex lesions or dilatation and deterioration of the right ventricle.

Nasal aerodynamics protects brain and lung from inhaled dust in subterranean diggers, Ellobius talpinus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.P. Moshkin; D.V. Petrovski; A.E. Akulov; A.V. Romashchenko; L.A. Gerlinskaya; V.L. Ganimedov; M.I. Muchnaya; A.S. Sadovsky; I.V. Koptyug; A.A. Savelov; S. Yu Troitsky; Y.M. Moshkn; V.I. Bukhtiyarov; N.A. Kolchanov; R.Z. Sagdeev; V.M. Fomin

2014-01-01

textabstractInhalation of air-dispersed sub-micrometre and nano-sized particles presents a risk factor for animal and human health. Here, we show that nasal aerodynamics plays a pivotal role in the protection of the subterranean mole vole Ellobius talpinus from an increased exposure to

Phylogenetic placement of the Pacific Northwest subterranean endemic diving beetle Stygoporus oregonensis Larson & LaBonte (Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kojun Kanda

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Stygoporus oregonensis Larson & LaBonte is a little-known subterranean diving beetle, which, until recently, had not been collected since the type series was taken from a shallow well in western Oregon, USA, in 1984. Here we report the discovery of additional specimens collected from a nearby well in the Willamette Valley. Sequence data from four mitochondrial genes, wingless, and histone III place Stygoporus Larson & LaBonte in the predominantly Mediterranean subtribe Siettitiina of the Hydroporini. Morphological support for these results is discussed, and details of the collecting circumstances of the new specimens are presented. We argue that the biogeographic patterns of Nearctic Siettitiina highlight the likelihood of additional undiscovered subterranean dytiscids in North America.

Phylogenetic placement of the Pacific Northwest subterranean endemic diving beetle Stygoporus oregonensis Larson & LaBonte (Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae)

Science.gov (United States)

Kanda, Kojun; Gomez, R. Antonio; Van Driesche, Richard; Miller, Kelly B.; Maddison, David R.

2016-01-01

Abstract Stygoporus oregonensis Larson & LaBonte is a little-known subterranean diving beetle, which, until recently, had not been collected since the type series was taken from a shallow well in western Oregon, USA, in 1984. Here we report the discovery of additional specimens collected from a nearby well in the Willamette Valley. Sequence data from four mitochondrial genes, wingless, and histone III place Stygoporus Larson & LaBonte in the predominantly Mediterranean subtribe Siettitiina of the Hydroporini. Morphological support for these results is discussed, and details of the collecting circumstances of the new specimens are presented. We argue that the biogeographic patterns of Nearctic Siettitiina highlight the likelihood of additional undiscovered subterranean dytiscids in North America. PMID:27920606

NUTRITIVE VALUES OF SOME ANNUAL CLOVERS (Trifolium sp. AT DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES

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A TEKELI

2006-05-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted between the years of 2001-2002 in the experimental area and laboratory of Field Crops Department of Agriculture Faculty in Trakya University, Tekirdağ (Turkey. Five different clovers [Persian (Trifolium resupinatum L. var. majus Boiss., Mediterranean (T. spumosum L., narrow-leaved (T. angustifolium L., hedgehog (T. echinatum M. Bieb. and lappa (T. lappaceum L. clovers] were used. Each plot consisted of 8 rows with a length of 5 m. Row spacing of 30 cm and sowing rate of 10 kg ha-1 were used. Sowing times were on 2.25.2001 and on 2.28.2002. Plots were not irrigated and fertilized after sown and harvest. One cut was taken in both years at 4 growing stages such as pre-bud, pre-bloom, 50% bloom and full-bloom. The central 1 m-2 sections was cut at ground level for dry matter. Approximately 500g samples were dried at 55 °C for 24 hours and stored for one day at room temperature then found dry matter. Crude protein (% was determined by Kjeldahl method.

The performance of a white clover-based dairy system in comparison with a grass/fertiliser-N system. II. Animal production, economics and environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schils, R.L.M.; Boxem, T.; Jagtenberg, C.J.; Verboom, M.C.

2000-01-01

The performance of a white clover based dairy system in comparison with a grass/fertiliser-N system was studied during three years. Both systems had 59 cows, plus young stock, on an area of 40.6 ha for grass/clover and 34.4 ha for grass/fertiliser-N. During the grazing season, the cows in both

Searls prairie clover (Dalea searlsiae) for rangeland revegetation: Phenotypic and genetic evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Kishor Bhattarai; Shaun Bushman; Douglas A. Johnson; John G. Carman

2011-01-01

Few North American legumes are available for use in rangeland revegetation in the western USA, but Searls prairie clover [Dalea searlsiae (A. Gray) Barneby] is one that holds promise. Commercial-scale seed production of this species could address the issues of unreliable seed availability and high seed costs associated with its wildland seed collection. To evaluate its...

Microbial protein synthesis, digestion and lactation responses of cows to grass or grass-red clover silage diet supplemented with barley or oats

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A. VANHATALO

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted to evaluate effects of silage type (grass-red clover vs. pure grass and grain supplement (oats vs. barley on rumen fermentation, post-ruminal nutrient flows, diet digestion and milk production. Four primiparous Finnish Ayrshire cows fitted with cannulae in the rumen and duodenum were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square experiment with four 28-d experimental periods and 2 × 2 factorial arrangements of treatments. Using red clover-containing (40% silage rather than pure grass silage had minor effects on rumen fermentation or diet digestion but increased non-ammonia nitrogen (N flow in terms of increased flows of microbial and dietary N entering to the small intestine. This was reflected as a reduced ruminal N degradability on grass-red clover diets. Furthermore, grass-red clover diets in comparison to grass silage diets increased milk lactose concentration and yields of milk, protein and lactose. Feeding oats in replacement for barley had minor effects on rumen fermentation or post-ruminal non-ammonia N flows but reduced digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fibre in the diet. Using oats rather than barley increased yields of milk and lactose but reduced milk protein concentration. Oats also increased proportions of C18:0 and C18:1 in milk fat and reduced those of C10:0 to C16:0. It is concluded that inclusion of red clover and replacement of barley with oats in grass silage based diets have beneficial effects in dairy cow production.;

Molecular identification of Taenia mustelae cysts in subterranean rodent plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Fang; Ma, Jun-Ying; Cai, Hui-Xia; Su, Jian-Ping; Hou, Zhi-Bin; Zhang, Tong-Zuo; Lin, Gong-Hua

2014-07-01

Cestode larvae spend one phase of their two-phase life cycle in the viscera of rodents, but cases of cestodes infecting subterranean rodents have only been rarely observed. To experimentally gain some insight into this phenomenon, we captured approximately 300 plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi), a typical subterranean rodent inhabiting the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and examined their livers for the presence of cysts. Totally, we collected five cysts, and using a mitochondrial gene (cox1) and two nuclear genes (pepck and pold) as genetic markers, we were able to analyze the taxonomy of the cysts. Both the maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods showed that the cysts share a monophyly with Taenia mustelae, while Kimura 2-parameter distances and number of different sites between our sequences and T. mustelae were far less than those found between the examined sequences and other Taeniidae species. These results, alongside supporting paraffin section histology, imply that the cysts found in plateau zokors can be regarded as larvae of T. mustelae, illustrating that zokors are a newly discovered intermediate host record of this parasite.

The geochemical aspect for the evaluations of radioelements transfers in subterranean porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rancon, Daniel.

1978-10-01

Radiological safety studies upon radioactivity transfers in soils and subterranean waters need geochemical studies to evaluate the retention of radionuclides by the solid matrix of porous media. The interaction between radionuclides water and substratum allow determination of the retention term in the transfer equation and estimation of relative speeds of the pollutant and the water which carries it. The retention, characterized by the distribution coefficient or by the soption isotherms, can be due to several mechanisms: precipitation, adsorption, ions exchange which have to be determined because they introduce the important concepts of reversibility, irreversible fixation and saturation. Retention is a function of various factors which can have a great influence: temperature, nature and texture of the solid, composition and pH of the solution, presence of complexing agent. This report is illustrated by original examples chosen among well know elements (Cs, Sr) and mainly among less studied elements (Co, Ba, Ra, U, Th, Np, Pu). Recommendations are proposed to make these transfer measurements more realistic and more adapted to the natural conditions of subterranean media [fr

Cytoskeleton-amyloplast interactions in sweet clover

Science.gov (United States)

Guikema, J. A.; Hilaire, E.; Odom, W. R.; Spooner, B. S. (Principal Investigator)

1993-01-01

The distribution of organelles within columella cells of sweet clover was examined by transmission electron microscopy following growth under static or clinorotating conditions. A developmentally conditioned polarity was observed, with a proximal location of the nucleus and a distal accumulation of the endoplasmic reticulum. This polarity was insensitive to clinorotation. In contrast, clinorotation altered the location of amyloplasts. Application of cytoskeletal poisons (colchicine, cytochalasin D, taxol, and phalloidin), especially during clinorotation, had interesting effects on the maintenance of columella cell polarity, with a profound effect on the extent, location, and structure of the endoplasmic reticulum. The site of cytoskeletal interactions with sedimenting amyloplasts is thought to be the amyloplast envelope. An envelope fraction, having over 17 polypeptides, was isolated using immobilized antibody technology, and will provide a means of assessing the role of specific peptides in cytoskeleton/amyloplast interactions.

Biochar application rate affects biological nitrogen fixation in red clover conditional on potassium availability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mia, S.; van Groeningen, J.W.; Van de Voorde, T.F.J.; Oram, N.J.; Bezemer, T.M.; Mommer, Liesje; Jeffery, S.

2014-01-01

Increased biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by legumes has been reported following biochar application to soils, but the mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly elucidated. We investigated the effects of different biochar application rates on BNF in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). Red

Kinship structure and mating system in a solitary subterranean rodent, the silvery mole-rat

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Patzenhauerová, Hana; Bryja, Josef; Šumbera, R.

2010-01-01

Roč. 64, č. 5 (2010), s. 757-767 ISSN 0340-5443 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA601410802 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : subterranean rodent * kinship structure * mating system * dispersal Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.565, year: 2010

Changes During Growth in Cell Wall Components of Berseem Clover Under Different Cutting Treatments in a Mediterranean Region

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Giuditta De Santis

2007-09-01

cutting at early flower (treatment B. Therefore, harvest management in which cuts are applied at the stage of sixth internode elongation appears to be the most favourable for obtaining forage of lower fibre content in berseem clover grown in Mediterranean regions.

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of western prairie clover collections from the western USA

Science.gov (United States)

Kishor Bhattarai; B. Shaun Bushman; Douglas A. Johnson; John G. Carman

2010-01-01

Few North American legumes are available for rangeland revegetation in the semiarid western United States. Western prairie clover (Dalea ornata [Douglas ex Hook.] Eaton & J. Wright) is a perennial legume with desirable forage characteristics and is distributed in the northern Great Basin, Snake River Basin, and southern Columbia Plateau. Understanding the...

Relationships between Nitrate and Oxygen Supply in Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by White Clover

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minchin, F. R.; Ines Minguez, M.; Sheedy, J. E.

1986-01-01

Exposure of mature, nodulated plants of white clover (Trifolium repens) cv. Blanca to 330 mg dm−3 NO3-N for 8 d caused nitrogenase activity per plant to decrease by 80%. Total nodulated root respiration was not significantly affected but analysis of its components showed an 81% decrease in nitrog...

Variations of iron flux and organic carbon remineralization in a subterranean estuary caused by interannual variations in recharge

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Moutusi; Martin, Jonathan B.; Cable, Jaye E.; Smith, Christopher G.

2013-01-01

We determine the inter-annual variations in diagenetic reaction rates of sedimentary iron (Fe ) in an east Florida subterranean estuary and evaluate the connection between metal fluxes and recharge to the coastal aquifer. Over the three-year study period (from 2004 to 2007), the amount of Fe-oxides reduced at the study site decreased from 192 g/yr to 153 g/yr and associated organic carbon (OC) remineralization decreased from 48 g/yr to 38 g/yr. These reductions occurred although the Fe-oxide reduction rates remained constant around 1 mg/cm2/yr. These results suggest that changes in flow rates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) related to changes in precipitation may be important to fluxes of the diagenetic reaction products. Rainfall at a weather station approximately 5 km from the field area decreased from 12.6 cm/month to 8.4 cm/month from 2004 to 2007. Monthly potential evapotranspiration (PET) calculated from Thornthwaite’s method indicated potential evapotranspiration cycled from about 3 cm/month in the winter to about 15 cm/month in the summer so that net annual recharge to the aquifer decreased from 40 cm in 2004 to -10 cm in 2007. Simultaneously, with the decrease in recharge of groundwater, freshwater SGD decreased by around 20% and caused the originally 25 m wide freshwater seepage face to decrease in width by about 5 m. The smaller seepage face reduced the area under which Fe-oxides were undergoing reductive dissolution. Consequently, the observed decrease in Fe flux is controlled by hydrology of the subterranean estuary. These results point out the need to better understand linkages between temporal variations in diagenetic reactions and changes in flow within subterranean estuaries in order to accurately constrain their contribution to oceanic fluxes of solutes from subterranean estuaries.

The “Alluvial Mesovoid Shallow Substratum”, a New Subterranean Habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Ortuño, Vicente M.; Gilgado, José D.; Jiménez-Valverde, Alberto; Sendra, Alberto; Pérez-Suárez, Gonzalo; Herrero-Borgoñón, Juan J.

2013-01-01

In this paper we describe a new type of subterranean habitat associated with dry watercourses in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula, the “Alluvial Mesovoid Shallow Substratum” (alluvial MSS). Historical observations and data from field sampling specially designed to study MSS fauna in the streambeds of temporary watercourses support the description of this new habitat. To conduct the sampling, 16 subterranean sampling devices were placed in a region of Eastern Spain. The traps were operated for 12 months and temperature and relative humidity data were recorded to characterise the habitat. A large number of species was captured, many of which belonged to the arthropod group, with marked hygrophilous, geophilic, lucifugous and mesothermal habits. In addition, there was also a substantial number of species showing markedly ripicolous traits. The results confirm that the network of spaces which forms in alluvial deposits of temporary watercourses merits the category of habitat, and here we propose the name of “alluvial MSS”. The “alluvial MSS” may be covered or not by a layer of soil, is extremely damp, provides a buffer against above ground temperatures and is aphotic. In addition, compared to other types of MSS, it is a very unstable habitat. It is possible that the “alluvial MSS” may be found in other areas of the world with strongly seasonal climatic regimes, and could play an important role as a biogeographic corridor and as a refuge from climatic changes. PMID:24124544

The impact of subterranean termite activity on water infiltration and topsoil properties in Burkina Faso

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mettrop, I.S.; Cammeraat, L.H.; Verbeeten, E.

2013-01-01

Few quantitative experimental studies have been carried out on the influence of subterranean termite activity on the water infiltration capacity of crusted soils in the semi-arid Sahelian region. These studies found increased infiltration rates on soils that were affected by foraging galleries of

Effects of feeding level and NDF content of grass-clover silages on chewing activity, fecal particle size and NDF digestibility in dairy heifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schulze, Anne-Katrine Skovsted; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Nørgaard, Peder

2014-01-01

intake (PRumination time per kg DM intake (Pcontents (Prumination with greater...... NDF content (Prumination time increased with greater NDF content (Pcontent (P...The objective of this study was to assess effects of feed intake and NDF content of highly digestible grass-clover silage on chewing behavior, fecal particle size distribution and apparent digestibility in restrictively fed heifers. Four grass-clover silages (Lolium perenne, Trifolium pratense...

Deep sequencing analysis of the transcriptomes of peanut aerial and subterranean young pods identifies candidate genes related to early embryo abortion.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaoping; Zhu, Wei; Azam, Sarwar; Li, Heying; Zhu, Fanghe; Li, Haifen; Hong, Yanbin; Liu, Haiyan; Zhang, Erhua; Wu, Hong; Yu, Shanlin; Zhou, Guiyuan; Li, Shaoxiong; Zhong, Ni; Wen, Shijie; Li, Xingyu; Knapp, Steve J; Ozias-Akins, Peggy; Varshney, Rajeev K; Liang, Xuanqiang

2013-01-01

The failure of peg penetration into the soil leads to seed abortion in peanut. Knowledge of genes involved in these processes is comparatively deficient. Here, we used RNA-seq to gain insights into transcriptomes of aerial and subterranean pods. More than 2 million transcript reads with an average length of 396 bp were generated from one aerial (AP) and two subterranean (SP1 and SP2) pod libraries using pyrosequencing technology. After assembly, sets of 49 632, 49 952 and 50 494 from a total of 74 974 transcript assembly contigs (TACs) were identified in AP, SP1 and SP2, respectively. A clear linear relationship in the gene expression level was observed between these data sets. In brief, 2194 differentially expressed TACs with a 99.0% true-positive rate were identified, among which 859 and 1068 TACs were up-regulated in aerial and subterranean pods, respectively. Functional analysis showed that putative function based on similarity with proteins catalogued in UniProt and gene ontology term classification could be determined for 59 342 (79.2%) and 42 955 (57.3%) TACs, respectively. A total of 2968 TACs were mapped to 174 KEGG pathways, of which 168 were shared by aerial and subterranean transcriptomes. TACs involved in photosynthesis were significantly up-regulated and enriched in the aerial pod. In addition, two senescence-associated genes were identified as significantly up-regulated in the aerial pod, which potentially contribute to embryo abortion in aerial pods, and in turn, to cessation of swelling. The data set generated in this study provides evidence for some functional genes as robust candidates underlying aerial and subterranean pod development and contributes to an elucidation of the evolutionary implications resulting from fruit development under light and dark conditions. © 2012 The Authors Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2012 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Medium-term response of microbial community to rhizodeposits of white clover and ryegrass and tracing of active processes induced by 13C and 15N labelled exudates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusliene, Gedrime; Rasmussen, Jim; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2014-01-01

and actinomycetes was unaffected by plant species, but pool of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria was greater under white clover at the 10 percent significance level. In the short term, microorganisms more actively utilised fresh exudates (13C-labelled) of ryegrass than of white clover. We expected ryegrass...... microbial groups in soil under white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) following leaf-labelling with 13C-bicarbonate and 15N-urea. In this way microbial N and 15N and the composition of PLFAs reflect the medium-term (two months) response of microorganisms to rhizodeposits......, whereas the 13C-label of the PLFAs reflects the short-term (one week) utilisation of root exudates following labelling of shoots. In the medium term, microbial biomass N and 15N were greater under the ryegrass, whereas total PLFA was higher under white clover. The relative abundance of fungi...

Estimating legume N-2 fixation in grass-clover mixtures of a grazed organic cropping system using two N-15 methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther, F.P.; Jensen, E.S.

2000-01-01

The input of Nitrogen (N) through symbiotic N-2 fixation (SNF) in grass-clover mixtures was determined in an organic cropping. system for grazing during 3 years. The mixture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) was established by undersowing in spring...... barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and maintained subsequently for two production years. Dinitrogen fixation was determined using the N-15 isotope dilution techniques and two labelling procedures. Using either pre-labelling of the soil with immobilisation of the N-15 by addition of a carbon source before...

Environmental DNA in subterranean biology: range extension and taxonomic implications for Proteus

Science.gov (United States)

Gorički, Špela; Stanković, David; Snoj, Aleš; Kuntner, Matjaž; Jeffery, William R.; Trontelj, Peter; Pavićević, Miloš; Grizelj, Zlatko; Năpăruş-Aljančič, Magdalena; Aljančič, Gregor

2017-03-01

Europe’s obligate cave-dwelling amphibian Proteus anguinus inhabits subterranean waters of the north-western Balkan Peninsula. Because only fragments of its habitat are accessible to humans, this endangered salamander’s exact distribution has been difficult to establish. Here we introduce a quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction-based environmental DNA (eDNA) approach to detect the presence of Proteus using water samples collected from karst springs, wells or caves. In a survey conducted along the southern limit of its known range, we established a likely presence of Proteus at seven new sites, extending its range to Montenegro. Next, using specific molecular probes to discriminate the rare black morph of Proteus from the closely related white morph, we detected its eDNA at five new sites, thus more than doubling the known number of sites. In one of these we found both black and white Proteus eDNA together. This finding suggests that the two morphs may live in contact with each other in the same body of groundwater and that they may be reproductively isolated species. Our results show that the eDNA approach is suitable and efficient in addressing questions in biogeography, evolution, taxonomy and conservation of the cryptic subterranean fauna.

Modeling natural photic entrainment in a subterranean rodent (Ctenomys aff. knighti, the Tuco-Tuco.

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Danilo E F L Flôres

Full Text Available Subterranean rodents spend most of the day inside underground tunnels, where there is little daily change in environmental variables. Our observations of tuco-tucos (Ctenomys aff. knighti in a field enclosure indicated that these animals perceive the aboveground light-dark cycle by several bouts of light-exposure at irregular times during the light hours of the day. To assess whether such light-dark pattern acts as an entraining agent of the circadian clock, we first constructed in laboratory the Phase Response Curve for 1 h light-pulses (1000lux. Its shape is qualitatively similar to other curves reported in the literature and to our knowledge it is the first Phase Response Curve of a subterranean rodent. Computer simulations were performed with a non-linear limit-cycle oscillator subjected to a simple model of the light regimen experienced by tuco-tucos. Results showed that synchronization is achieved even by a simple regimen of a single daily light pulse scattered uniformly along the light hours of the day. Natural entrainment studies benefit from integrated laboratory, field and computational approaches.

Variations of iron flux and organic carbon remineralization in a subterranean estuary caused by inter-annual variations in recharge

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Moutusi; Martin, Jonathan B.; Cable, Jaye E.; Smith, Christopher G.

2013-02-01

We determine the inter-annual variations in diagenetic reaction rates of sedimentary iron (Fe) in an east Florida subterranean estuary and evaluate the connection between metal fluxes and recharge to the coastal aquifer. Over the three years study period (from 2004 to 2007), the amount of Fe-oxides reduced at the study site decreased from 192 to 153 g/yr and associated organic carbon (OC) remineralization decreased from 48 to 38 g/yr. These reductions occurred although the Fe-oxide reduction rates remained constant around 1 mg/cm2/yr. These results suggest that changes in flow rates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) related to changes in precipitation may be important to fluxes of the diagenetic reaction products. Rainfall at a weather station approximately 5 km from the field area decreased from 12.6 to 8.4 cm/month from 2004 to 2007. Monthly potential evapotranspiration (PET) calculated from Thornthwaite's method indicated potential evapotranspiration cycled from about 3 cm/month in the winter to about 15 cm/month in the summer so that net annual recharge to the aquifer decreased from 40 cm in 2004 to -10 cm in 2007. Simultaneously with the decrease in recharge of groundwater, freshwater SGD decreased by around 20% and caused the originally 25 m wide freshwater seepage face to decrease in width by about 5 m. The smaller seepage face reduced the area under which Fe-oxides were undergoing reductive dissolution. Consequently, the observed decrease in Fe flux is controlled by hydrology of the subterranean estuary. These results point out the need to better understand linkages between temporal variations in diagenetic reactions and changes in flow within subterranean estuaries in order to accurately constrain their contribution to oceanic fluxes of solutes from subterranean estuaries.

Determination of toxicity limiting values of Zn, Cu, and Pb for oat and red clover

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hodenberg, A V; Finck, A

1975-01-01

Toxicity limiting values of Zn, Cu and Pb are determined in order to investigate the causes of growth damages in certain fields. Since the true toxicity limit is difficult to estimate, a somewhat higher content is called the toxicity limiting value resulting after the subtraction of a significant yield difference. The pot experiments with increasing fertilization of Zn, Cu and Pb in soil cultures gave the following results. For Zn, the toxicity limit is 410 ppm in oats at the beginning of tilling. In red clover six weeks of age, it is only 290 ppm of Zn and therefore much lower. For Cu, the toxicity limit is 20 ppm in oats at the beginning of tilling and 18 ppm in six weeks old red clover. For Pb, a toxic effect could be observed above 50 ppm, but this does not seem to be the true limit because of disturbing salt effects.

Sexual polyploidization in red clover Poliploidização sexual em trevo vermelho

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carine Simioni

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Because sexual polyploidization broadens genetic basis and supply plant breeders with more variability for the selection process, it can be useful in red clover breeding. This paper reports results of three crossing cycles, starting from a parental generation of tetraploid red clover plants (female parent, and diploids from the Quiñiqueli cultivar, selected for production of more than 1% of giant pollen grains (male parent aiming to obtain tetraploid plants to be used in red clover breeding programs. Crosses in the next generations were performed by mutual cross-pollinations. Chromosome number chimerism and high pollen sterility were detected in F1, F2 and F3, but there was a trend towards increasing seed production and seed viability along the generations, probably due to successful competition between fertile and sterile gametes. The identification of fertile triploids, as well as their recurrent formation along the generations, indicates that triploid block is not complete in red clover, and that triploids may be successfully used as a bridge for the production of sexual polyploids.Porque a poliploidização sexual amplia a base genética e proporciona aos melhoristas maior variabilidade para o processo de seleção, ela pode ser uma ferramenta útil ao melhoramento de trevo vermelho. Com o objetivo de obter plantas tetraplóides que possam ser utilizadas em programas de melhoramento de trevo vermelho, este trabalho relata resultados de três ciclos de cruzamentos, partindo de uma população parental de plantas tetraplóides de trevo vermelho, como genitores femininos, e de diplóides da cultivar Quiñiqueli, selecionados para produção de mais de 1% de grãos de pólen gigantes, como genitores masculinos. Nas outras gerações, os cruzamentos foram realizados por polinizações cruzadas mútuas. Quimerismo para número cromossômico e alta esterilidade de pólen foram detectados em F1 , F2 e F3, mas houve uma tendência para aumento da

Biological activity of clovers - free radical scavenging ability and antioxidant action of six Trifolium species.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolodziejczyk-Czepas, Joanna; Nowak, Pawel; Kowalska, Iwona; Stochmal, Anna

2014-10-01

Clovers were chosen on the basis of traditional medicine recommendations, agricultural value, or available information on their promising chemical profiles. This study evaluates and compares free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties of six clover species: Trifolium alexandrinum L. (Leguminosae), Trifolium fragiferum L., Trifolium hybridum L., Trifolium incarnatum L., Trifolium resupinatum var. majus Boiss., and Trifolium resupinatum var. resupinatum L. Free radical scavenging activity of the extracts (1.5-50 µg/ml) was estimated by reduction of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH(•)) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic) acid (ABTS(•)) radicals. The Trifolium extract effects on total antioxidant capacity of blood plasma were determined by the reduction of ABTS(•+) and DPPH(•) radicals, as well as with the use of the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay. The UPLC analysis of chemical profiles of the examined extracts showed the presence of three or four groups of phenolic substances, including phenolic acids, clovamides, isoflavones, and other flavonoids. The measurements of free radical scavenging and ferric reducing ability of the examined clover extracts revealed the strongest effect for T. alexandrinum. Furthermore, antioxidant activity assays in human plasma have shown protective effects of all extracts against peroxynitrite-induced reduction of total antioxidant capacity. Trifolium plants may be a rich source of bioactive substances with antioxidant properties. The examined extracts displayed free radical scavenging action and partly protected blood plasma against peroxynitrite-induced oxidative stress; however, the beneficial effects of T. alexandrinum and T. incarnatum seem to be slightly higher.

Effect of aditive supplementation to ensiled red clover on voluntary intake, digestibility and N balance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Vranić

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine effect of additive supplementation to red clover silage on ad libitum intake of fresh silage and dry matter (DM, in vivo digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM, OM in DM (D-value, crude protein (CP and nitrogen (N balance. Red clover was harvested at 60% bloom stage. It was ensiled into round bales without an additive (CD and with an additive supplementation (CDA in the amount of 2 L t-1 fresh material. Statistically lower (P<0.001 DM content was recorded in CD (405 g kg-1 fresh sample in comparison with CDA (665 g ST kg-1 fresh sample. Statistically higher CP content (P<0.001 was recorded in CD (127 g kg-1 ST in comparison with CDA (110 g SP kg-1 ST. CD had lower pH (P<0.001 (4.9 in comparison with CDA (5.2. No differences were recorded in NH3 between treatments. Ad libitum intake of fresh silage and silage DM was higher (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively in CD in comparison with CDA. Digestibility of DM, OM, CP, D-value and N balance were not different between treatments. It was concluded that the positive effect of additive supplementation to red clover silage on chemical composition, ad libitum intake, digestibility and N balance was not recorded due to applied ensiling technology as additive can improve feeding value of roughage, but it is not a replacement for good management practices.

The beneficial effect of dual inoculation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae + rhizobium on growth of white clover

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Lin, XG.

1993-01-01

Full Text Available Investigation on the effect of phosphorus on vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection, and dual inoculation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae + rhizobium on growth of white clover under field microplots and pot experiments was conducted on fluvo-aquic soils of semi-arid region in north China. The results showed that 60 kg P205 ha in form of superphosphate was the most favorable phosphorus level for vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection ; mycorrhizal infection, nodulation, dry weight of shoots and roots, total uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements, the final yields and recovery of phosphorus of white clover were significantly increased by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation and dual inoculation with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobium. The highest response of inoculation was obtained by adding fertilizer phosphorus at the level of 60 kg P205 ha in form of superphosphate.

Task allocation in the tunneling behavior of workers of the formosan subterranean termite, coptotermes formosanus shiraki

Science.gov (United States)

Technical Abstract: There is variation in the tunneling behavior of workers of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, where most of the excavation is conducted by a small number of individuals in a group, while the majority of individuals do little or no excavation. This ...

Resistance of borax–copper treated wood in aboveground exposure to attack by Formosan subterranean termites

Science.gov (United States)

Stan Lebow; Bessie Woodward; Douglas Crawford; William Abbott

2005-01-01

The spread of Formosan subterranean termites (FSTs) in the southern United States has increased public interest in finding a preservative treatment to protect framing lumber from termite attack. This study evaluated the use of a borax-based preservative to protect wood from FST attack. Southern Pine and Douglas-fir specimens were pressure-treated with three...

Effect of Pseudomonas fluorescens and pyoverdine on the phytoextraction of cesium by red clover in soil pots and hydroponics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazotte, Alice; Péron, Olivier; Gaudin, Pierre; Abdelouas, Abdesselam; Lebeau, Thierry

2018-05-12

With the aim of improving the phytoextraction rate of cesium (Cs), the effect of Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 17400 and its siderophore pyoverdine (PVD) on the uptake of Cs by red clover was studied in soil pots. This work also provides a mechanistic understanding of the Cs-bacteria (or PVD)-illite-plant interactions by using a simplified experimental design, i.e., hydroponics with either Cs in solution or Cs-spiked illite in suspension. For soil spiked with 11.2 mmol kg -1 (1480 mg kg -1 ) of Cs, 0.43% of total Cs was taken up by red clover in 12 days (119 μmol g -1 (16 mg g -1 ) of Cs dry matter in roots and 40 μmol g -1 (5 mg g -1 ) in shoots). In hydroponics with Cs in solution (0.1 mmol L -1 or 13 mg L -1 ), 75% of Cs was taken up vs. only 0.86% with Cs-spiked illite suspension. P. fluorescens and PVD did not increase Cs concentrations in aboveground parts and roots of red clover and even decreased them. The damaging effect of PVD on red clover growth was demonstrated with the biomass yielding 66% of the control in soil pots (and 100% mortality after 12 days of exposition) and only 56% in hydroponics (78% with illite in suspension). Nonetheless, PVD and, to a lesser extent, P. fluorescens increased the translocation factor up to a factor of 2.8. This study clearly showed a direct damaging effect of PVD and to a lower extent the retention of Cs by biofilm covering both the roots and illite, both resulting in the lower phytoextraction efficiency.

Clay preference and particle transport behavior of Formosan subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a laboratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cai; Henderson, Gregg

2014-12-01

Although preference and utilization of clay have been studied in many higher termites, little attention has been paid to lower termites, especially subterranean termites. The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, can modify its habitat by using clay to fill tree cavities. Here, the biological significance of clay on C. formosanus was investigated. Choice tests showed that significantly more termites aggregated in chambers where clay blocks were provided, regardless of colony group, observation period, or nutritional condition (fed or starved). No-choice tests showed that clay had no observable effect on survivorship, live or dry biomass, water content, and tunneling activity after 33-35 d. However, clay appeared to significantly decrease filter paper consumption (dry weight loss). Active particle (sand, paper, and clay) transport behavior was observed in both choice and no-choice tests. When present, clay was preferentially spread on the substrate, attached to the smooth surfaces of the containers, and used to line sand tunnels. Mechanisms and potential application of clay attraction are discussed. © 2013 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Performance comparison for modes of operation and suppression cases of the clover detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kshetri, R

2014-01-01

Peak-to-total ratios have been extracted for a segmented clover detector for various modes of operation and suppression cases. Based on absorption and scattering of gamma-rays, a formalism has been presented for quantifying the advantages of using addback mode and active suppression. Further investigations have been performed to find if the reduction of background counts is caused more by active suppression or by addback process

Genetic and morphological support for possible sympatric origin of fish from subterranean habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemzadeh Segherloo, Iraj; Normandeau, Eric; Benestan, Laura; Rougeux, Clément; Coté, Guillaume; Moore, Jean-Sébastien; Ghaedrahmati, NabiAllah; Abdoli, Asghar; Bernatchez, Louis

2018-02-13

Two blind Iran cave barbs, Garra typhlops and Garra lorestanensis, exist in sympatry in a single subterranean habitat, raising the hypothesis that they may represent a case of sympatric speciation following a colonization event. Their different mental disc forms have prompted some authors to propose the alternative hypothesis of two separate colonization events. In this study, we analysed a genome-wide panel of 11,257 SNPs genotyped by means of genotyping-by-sequencing combined with mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase sub-unit I sequence data, field observations and morphological traits to test these two hypotheses. Field data suggest some degree of ecological divergence despite some possible niche overlap such that hybridization is possible. According to both nuclear and mtDNA data, the cave barb species are monophyletic with close phylogenetic relationships with Garra gymnothorax from the Karun-Dez and Karkheh river basins. The historical demography analysis revealed that a model of Isolation-with-Migration (IM) best fitted the data, therefore better supporting a scenario of sympatric origin than that of allopatric isolation followed by secondary contact. Overall, our results offer stronger support to the hypothesis that speciation in the subterranean habitat could have occurred in sympatry following a colonization event from the Karun-Dez-Karkheh basins in the Zagros Mountains of Iran.

Resistance of Particleboards Made from Fast-Growing Wood Species to Subterranean Termite Attack.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermawan, Dede; Hadi, Yusuf S; Fajriani, Esi; Massijaya, Muhamad Y; Hadjib, Nurwati

2012-05-29

Laboratory-made particleboards were tested for their resistance to subterranean termite, Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren (Order Isoptera, Family Termitidae) by Indonesian standard SNI 01.7207-2006, during four weeks and at the end of the test their mass loss percentage and feeding rate were determined. Particleboards consisted of: jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba, Family Rubiacea) with a density of 0.41 g/cm³; sungkai (Peronema canescens, Family Verbenaceae) with a density of 0.46 g/cm³; mangium (Acacia mangium, Family Rhamnaceae) with a density of 0.60 g/cm³ separately and the three species mixture at a rate of 1:1:1. Densities of the boards were targetted at 0.60 g/cm³ and 0.80 g/cm³ by using 12% urea formaldehyde as binder with 2% paraffin as additive based on oven dry wood particle weight. The hand-formed mats and hot-pressing at 130 °C and 2.45 MPa for 10 min were applied. The results showed that particleboards density did not affect mass loss and feeding rate, but the particleboards made from higher density wood resulted in higher resistance to subterranean termite attack. The most resistant particleboards were made of magium, followed by sungkai, mixed species, and jabon.

Towards an optimal sampling strategy for assessing genetic variation within and among white clover (Trifolium repens L. cultivars using AFLP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khosro Mehdi Khanlou

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Cost reduction in plant breeding and conservation programs depends largely on correctly defining the minimal sample size required for the trustworthy assessment of intra- and inter-cultivar genetic variation. White clover, an important pasture legume, was chosen for studying this aspect. In clonal plants, such as the aforementioned, an appropriate sampling scheme eliminates the redundant analysis of identical genotypes. The aim was to define an optimal sampling strategy, i.e., the minimum sample size and appropriate sampling scheme for white clover cultivars, by using AFLP data (283 loci from three popular types. A grid-based sampling scheme, with an interplant distance of at least 40 cm, was sufficient to avoid any excess in replicates. Simulations revealed that the number of samples substantially influenced genetic diversity parameters. When using less than 15 per cultivar, the expected heterozygosity (He and Shannon diversity index (I were greatly underestimated, whereas with 20, more than 95% of total intra-cultivar genetic variation was covered. Based on AMOVA, a 20-cultivar sample was apparently sufficient to accurately quantify individual genetic structuring. The recommended sampling strategy facilitates the efficient characterization of diversity in white clover, for both conservation and exploitation.

Nucleon form factors and structure functions from Nf=2 Clover fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, S.; Goeckeler, M.; Haegler, P.

2010-12-01

We give an update on our ongoing efforts to compute the nucleon's form factors and moments of structure functions using N f =2 flavours of non-perturbatively improved Clover fermions. We focus on new results obtained on gauge configurations where the pseudo-scalar meson mass is in the range of 170-270 MeV. We compare our results with various estimates obtained from chiral effective theories since we have some overlap with the quark mass region where results from such theories are believed to be applicable. (orig.)

Environmental life cycle assessments of producing maize, grass-clover, ryegrass and winter wheat straw for biorefinery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parajuli, Ranjan; Kristensen, Ib Sillebak; Knudsen, Marie Trydeman

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the potential environmental impacts of producing maize, grass-clover, ryegrass, and straw from winter wheat as biomass feedstocks for biorefinery. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method included the following impact categories: Global Warming Potential (GWP100),...

Optimization of a protocol for direct organogenesis of red clover (Trifolium pratense L. meristems for breeding purposes

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JUAN C CARRILLO

2004-01-01

Full Text Available A series of experiments were carried out in order to optimize a protocol for the direct organogenesis of Chilean red clover germplasm. A range of cultivars were used to analyze the effect of explant source (crown or stem meristems of vegetative plants, culture media and plant growth regulators. Our findings showed that stem meristems were easier to obtain, presented lower levels of contamination and a better development than crown meristems. The L2 medium showed better results than B5 and MS media for the cultivars and experimental lines studied. L2 medium supplemented with 0.003 mg/l of 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid and 1.0 mg/l of 6-benzylaminopurine gave consistently better results and will be applied in our breeding program to propagate, maintain and eliminate viruses from elite red clover clones.

Cleaning the Soil from Zinc Using Red Clovers “Arimaičiai”

OpenAIRE

Audronė Mikalajūnė; Giedrė Jasulaitytė

2011-01-01

Zinc as a nutrition element is required to plants in small quantities to maintain normal functions of metabolism mechanisms. Our work analyses the efficiency of red clovers “Arimaičiai” for cleaning zinc from the soil contaminated with zinc under laboratory conditions. Seeds were sown in three differently polluted soils: clean soil, once contaminated with zinc and periodically contaminated with zinc soil. Zinc concentration in one time contaminated soil was 45 mg/kg. After 6 months of phytore...

Biologically fixed N2 as a source for N2O production in a grass–clover mixture, measured by 15N2 (erratum i vol. 74 p. 203)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carter, Mette Sustmann; Ambus, P.

2006-01-01

The contribution of biologically fixed dinitrogen (N-2) to the nitrous oxide (N2O) production in grasslands is unknown. To assess the contribution of recently fixed N-2 as a source of N2O and the transfer of fixed N from clover to companion grass, mixtures of white clover and perennial ryegrass...

Assessment of Protective Effect of Some Modern Agrochemicals against Ozone-Induced Stress in Sensitive Clover and Tobacco Cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, Oleg; Didyk, Nataliya; Pavluchenko, Nataliya; Godzik, Barbara

2011-01-01

Some modern agrochemicals with antioxidant potential were tested for their protective effect against ozone injury using clover and tobacco ozone-sensitive cultivars as model plants subjected to ambient ozone at two sites (Kyiv city in Ukraine and Szarów village in Poland). All used agrochemicals showed partial protective effects against ozone injury on clover and tobacco. Conducted studies confirmed the effectiveness of modern fungicides belonging to strobilurin group as protectants of sensitive crops against ozone damage. The effectiveness of new growth regulators "Emistym C" and "Agrostymulin" was showed for the first time. Out of the studied agrochemicals, fungicide "Strobi" and natural growth regulator "Emistym C" demonstrated the best protective effects. These agrochemicals present promise for further studies of their possible utilization for enhancement of ozone tolerance of sensitive crops.

Effects of soil properties and P fertilizers on trace element uptake of red clover in a pot experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osztoics, E.; Bujtas, K.

1999-01-01

The impacts of superphosphate and Algerian phosphate rock and their various application rates on soil pH and on the availability of trace elements by red clover were studied in a pot experiment on several types of acidic soils from the Carpathian basin. The differences among the soils' original pH and texture, and those differences in soil pH, which resulted from the application of different P forms and rotes were reflected in the Mn, Ni, Al, Co, Sr, Cd and Cr contents of red clover. Plant concentrations of those elements were smaller on the slightly acidic than on the strongly and extremely strongly acidic soils. Elemental concentrations were generally higher when there was less time between two cuts, and decreased in the later cuts. Refs. 11 (author)

Meat goat kids finished on alfalfa, red clover, or orchardgrass pastures: Carcass merit and meat quality

Science.gov (United States)

This experiment was conducted in 2005-2007 to evaluate carcass and meat quality parameters when meat goat kids were finished on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L; ALF); red clover (Trifolium pretense L.; RCG); or orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L; OGR) pastures. Final shrunk body weights were similar whe...

Does introduction of clover in an agricultural grassland affect the food base and functional diversity of Collembola?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Annibale, D' Alessandra; Sechi, Valentina; Larsen, Thomas; Christensen, Søren; Krogh, Paul Henning; Eriksen, Jørgen

2017-01-01

Introduction of legumes (i.e. white clover) in agricultural grasslands is a common practice to improve yields, but how this affects soil fauna populations, particularly mesofauna, is still poorly understood. We investigated taxonomical and functional differences of Collembola communities between

Morphological traits and yield of red clover (Trifolium pratense L. genotypes with varying inflorescence length

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeusz Zając

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Two red clover breeding strains with elongated flower heads, developed by one of the authors (H.Góral, were studied for forage and seed yield and compared to the standard cultivar 'Nike'. In addition, six morphological shoot traits were measured and their interrelations were computed. The leaf area index (LAI of successive cuts in two harvest years was determined on the basis of shoot density and leaf area of individual shoots. All three genotypes exhibited a high leaf area on shoots and a very high forage productivity. Among the morphological traits only shoot height could be a good selective criterion because it is easily measured, is significantly associated with shoot weight and shoot leaf area and its variation is low. Both strains, particularly the one with longer inflorescences belong to short-lived red clover forms giving satis factory forage and seed yields in the first harvest year. Depending on the strain the number of seeds per elongated inflorescence in the first harvest year was higher by 92 and 42% compared to that of a standard cultivar.

Evaluation of physical structure value in spring-harvested grass/clover silage and hay fed to heifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schulze, A.K.S.; Nørgaard, P.; Byskov, M.V.

2015-01-01

The physical structure value of conserved grass/clover forages of spring harvest was evaluated by assessing effects of harvest time, conservation method, iNDF/NDF ratio and NDF intake (NDFI) per kg BW on chewing activity and fecal particle size in dairy heifers. A mixed sward consisting of ryegrass...

Metabolisable protein supply to lactating dairy cows increased with increasing dry matter concentration in grass-clover silage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Marianne; Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl; Lund, Peter

2017-01-01

The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of increased dry matter (DM) concentration in grass-clover silage, obtained by extending the pre-wilting period before ensiling, on the amount of metabolisable protein (MP) supplied to lactating dairy cows. Spring growth and first regrowth of grass...... and faeces, respectively, were collected over 94 h to cover the diurnal variation, pooled, and subsequently analysed. Rumen fluid was collected in same sampling procedure. To estimate the duodenal flow of microbial protein, microbes were isolated from the rumen and analysed for amino acids (AA) and purines...... flow of AA. The higher duodenal flow of AA derived from a lower rumen degradation of feed protein and a tendency towards a higher microbial synthesis in the rumen. Fibre digestibility and CH4 production were not affected by silage DM concentration. In conclusion, MP concentration in grass-clover silage...

Resistance of Particleboards Made from Fast-Growing Wood Species to Subterranean Termite Attack

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurwati Hadjib

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Laboratory-made particleboards were tested for their resistance to subterranean termite, Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren (Order Isoptera, Family Termitidae by Indonesian standard SNI 01.7207–2006, during four weeks and at the end of the test their mass loss percentage and feeding rate were determined. Particleboards consisted of: jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba, Family Rubiacea with a density of 0.41 g/cm³; sungkai (Peronema canescens, Family Verbenaceae with a density of 0.46 g/cm³; mangium (Acacia mangium, Family Rhamnaceae with a density of 0.60 g/cm³ separately and the three species mixture at a rate of 1:1:1. Densities of the boards were targetted at 0.60 g/cm³ and 0.80 g/cm³ by using 12% urea formaldehyde as binder with 2% paraffin as additive based on oven dry wood particle weight. The hand-formed mats and hot-pressing at 130 °C and 2.45 MPa for 10 min were applied. The results showed that particleboards density did not affect mass loss and feeding rate, but the particleboards made from higher density wood resulted in higher resistance to subterranean termite attack. The most resistant particleboards were made of magium, followed by sungkai, mixed species, and jabon.

Towards a biologically meaningful classification of subterranean organisms: a critical analysis of the Schiner-Racovitza system from a historical perspective, difficulties of its application and implications for conservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleonora Trajano

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Subterranean organisms always attracted the attention of humans using caves with various purposes, due to the strange appearance of several among them and life in an environment considered extreme. According to a classification based on the evolutionary and ecological relationships of these organisms with subterranean habitats, first proposed by Schiner in 1854 and emended by Racovitza in 1907, three categories have been recognized: troglobites, troglophles and trogloxenes. The Schiner-Racovitza system has been discussed, criticized, emended, the categories have been redefined, subdivided, original meanings have changed, but it is used until now. Herein we analyze in a conceptual framework the main ecological classifications of subterranean organisms, from Schiner to Trajano, in 2012, so far the last author to introduce a relevant conceptual change on the categories definitions, incorporating the source-sink population model. Conceptual inconsistencies are pointed, especially with regards to the generally ill-defined trogloxene category, and the correspondence between categories according to the original sense and in alternative classifications is discussed. Practical criteria for distinction between these categories and difficulties for their application are presented. The importance of rightly classifying subterranean populations according to the Schiner-Racovitza system for conservation of these fragile and mostly threatened habitats is discussed.

Global optimization in the adaptive assay of subterranean uranium nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vulkan, U.; Ben-Haim, Y.

1989-01-01

An adaptive assay is one in which the design of the assay system is modified during operation in response to measurements obtained on-line. The present work has two aims: to design an adaptive system for borehole assay of isolated subterranean uranium nodules, and to investigate globality of optimal design in adaptive assay. It is shown experimentally that reasonably accurate estimates of uranium mass are obtained for a wide range of nodule shapes, on the basis of an adaptive assay system based on a simple geomorphological model. Furthermore, two concepts are identified which underlie the optimal design of the assay system. The adaptive assay approach shows promise for successful measurement of spatially random material in many geophysical applications. (author)

Nitrogen Fertilizer Sources and Application Timing Affects Wheat and Inter-Seeded Red Clover Yields on Claypan Soils

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Kelly A. Nelson

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Controlled-release N fertilizer, such as polymer-coated urea (PCU, may be a fall N management option for wheat (Triticum aestivum L. grown in poorly-drained claypan soils. Field research evaluated (1 urea release from fall-applied PCU in 2006 and 2007; (2 broadcast fall-spring split (25%:75% of N sources; and (3 a single fall (100% application of PCU, urea, urea plus NBPT (N-(n-butyl thiophosphoric triamide] (U + NBPT, ammonium nitrate (AN, or urea ammonium nitrate (UAN at 0, 56, 84, and 112 kg·N·ha−1 on wheat yield, wheat biomass, N uptake by wheat, and frost-seeded red clover (FSC (Trifolium pratense L. forage yield (2004–2007. PCU applied in fall released less than 30% urea by February. Urea released from PCU by harvest was 60% and 85% in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In poorly-drained soils, wheat yields ranked PCU > AN > U + NBPT > urea ≥ UAN over the rates evaluated for fall-only application. PCU was a viable fall-applied N source, with yields similar to or greater than urea or U + NBPT split-applied. Split-N applications of AN, urea, UAN, and U + NBPT generally resulted in greater wheat yields than a fall application. Enhanced efficiency fertilizers provide farmers with flexible options for maintaining high yielding production systems.

Effect of Mycorrhizal Fungi and Trifluralin Herbicide on Emergence, Growth and Root Colonization of Clover (Trifolium repens L.

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Hassan Shahgholi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Herbicides, despite of their control of weeds, have the potential to affect sensitive crops in rotation and also beneficial non-targeted soil microbes including vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM fungi (6. AM fungi can increase the growth of crops through increasing uptake of phosphorus and insoluble micronutrients, and indirectly by improving soil quality parameters (30. However, several authors have reported different effects of herbicides on VAM symbiosis, which ranges from no adverse effects to slightly or highly toxic effects (6. Pesticides have also been reported to stimulate colonization of plant roots by AM fungi (27. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the interaction effects of mycorrhizal fungi and Trifluralin herbicide on the growth and root colonization of clover. Materials and Methods: A factorial experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design with three replicates at the College of Agricultural, University of Shahrood during 2012. Treatments were included three levels of mycorrhiza inoculation, M1: non mycorrhiza (control, M2: Glommus mosseae and M3: Glommus intraradices and herbicide treatments were included four levels of Trifluralin(T1: 0, T2: 1000, T3: 1500 and T4: 2000 ml ha-1. In mycorrhizal treatments, 20 g inoculums were thoroughly mixed with soil. Seeds of clover (Trifolium repens L. were sown in the pots maintained near the field in order to provide normal environmental conditions. Seedlings were thinned to two plants per pot at three leaf stages. At the time of harvesting, the emergence and growth characteristics of clover and root colonization was also registered. Statistical analyses of data were performed with statistical software MSTATC. Significant differences between means refer to the probability level of 0.05 calculated by LSD test. Results and Discussion: The results showed that emergence, uniformity (EU values decreased and time to 10% (D10 and 90% (D90 of

Changes in the spore numbers of AM fungi and in AM colonisation of roots of clovers and grasses on a peat-muck soil with respect to mineral fertilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kowalska, T. K.; Kwiatkowaska, E.

2016-01-01

A 4-year plot experiment was conducted to determine the dynamics of changes in the spore density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and of the degree of endomycorrhizal colonisation of roots of clovers and meadow grasses on an organic peat-muck soil in a post-marshy habitat, taking into account the effect of mineral fertilisation (NPK). The experimental object comprised four plots that represented the fertilisation treatments, sown with white clover (Trifolium repens L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), smooth meadow-grass (Poa pratensis L.), and a mix of grasses composed of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), smooth meadow-grass (Poa pratensis L.), and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.). Analogous sowing was performed on control (non-fertilised) plots. It was found that spores of AMF occurred in 100 percent of the samples of the soil studied, and the average total number of AMF spores isolated from soil under the particular plant combinations was high and amounted to 1858 spores (range from 1392 to 2443) in 100 g of air-dried soil. The percentage share of the clover and grass roots colonised by indigenous endomycorrhizal fungi was very low and varied from 0 to 46 (average from 4.1 percent to 12.2 percent). No correlation was found between the spore numbers of AMF in the soil and the degree of mycorrhized roots of the clovers and grasses. Mineral fertilisation stimulated the sporulation of AM fungi but had no effect on root colonisation by these fungi. (author)

Short-term residual N unaffected by forbs in grass-clover mixtures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dhamala, Nawa Raj; Rasmussen, Jim; Cong, Wenfeng

2017-01-01

We determined the effect on residual nitrogen (N) of including forbs (chicory, ribwort plantain and caraway) in perennial ryegrass-red clover mixtures. Although soil N inputs during the grassland phase differed markedly between mixtures, in a pot experiment we found no differences...... in the potentially mineralizable N of the soil or in the dry matter production and N content of the spring barley test crop. The fertilizer value of the grassland mixtures corresponded to 10 g N/m2, irrespective of forb inclusion. Thus, the inclusion of nonlegume forbs did not negatively affect short-term residual N...

Eidinemacheilus proudlovei, a new subterranean loach from Iraqi Kurdistan (Teleostei; Nemacheilidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Freyhof, Jörg; Abdullah, Younis Sabir; Ararat, Korsh; Ibrahim, Hamad; Geiger, Matthias F

2016-10-04

Eidinemacheilus proudlovei, new species, is described from subterranean waters in the Little Zab River drainage in Iraqi Kurdistan. After the discovery of E. smithi in 1976, E. proudlovei is the second troglomorphic nemacheilid loach found in the Middle East and the second species placed in Eidinemacheilus. Eidinemacheilus proudlovei is distinguished from E. smithi by having 8+8 or 8+7 branched caudal-fin rays, no adipose keel on the caudal peduncle, enlarged jaws and a fully developed head canal system. It furthers differs substantially in its DNA barcode (>8% K2P distance) from all other nemacheilid loaches in the Middle East, Europe and Western India.

Nitrate leaching in maize after cultivation of differently managed grass-clover leys on coarse sand in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Elly Møller; Eriksen, Jørgen

2016-01-01

When grass-clover leys have been ploughed nitrate leaching may increase. However, management of leys before or after ploughing may affect the leaching risk. We examined the effect of cultivating a six year ley, which the last two years had been treated differently (grazing only; spring cut follow...

Effect of maturity and conservation of grass/clover on digestibility and rumen pH in heifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, A.S.; Nørgaard, P.; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

2013-01-01

The study aimed to evaluate effects of maturity and conservation of primary growth grass/clover on apparent digestibility and rumen pH. Two batches of mixed ryegrass, red and white clover harvested in 2009 on May 9 and 25 were conserved as either silage or hay. The forages early silage (ES) and hay...... (EH), and late silage (LS) and hay (LH) had DM contents of 45, 84, 25 and 83%, and NDF contents of 32, 44, 42 and 50% of DM, respectively. Forages were fed as sole feed to four Jersey heifers of 435±30 kg BW in a 4×4 Latin square experiment. Feeding level was 90% of individual ad libitum intake......, divided in two daily meals at 0800 and 1530 h. Potentially digestible NDF (DNDF) was determined after 288 h in situ. Apparent digestibility of OM and NDF was estimated using Cr3O2 as marker. Rumen fluid pH in the medial and ventral rumen was measured with 1 h intervals from 0730 to 1530 h. Data...

Seismic communication in a blind subterranean mammal: a major somatosensory mechanism in adaptive evolution underground.

OpenAIRE

Nevo, E; Heth, G; Pratt, H

1991-01-01

Seismic communication, through low-frequency and patterned substrate-borne vibrations that are generated by head thumping, and which travel long distances underground, is important in the nonvisual communication of subterranean mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies (2n = 52, 54, 58, and 60) in Israel. This importance pertains both intraspecifically in adaptation and interspecifically in speciation. Neurophysiologic, behavioral, and anatomic findings in this study suggest that the me...

Methods and compositions for treating low temperature subterranean well formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatterji, J.

1979-08-21

An aqueous composition is described for treating subterranean formations having temperatures of up to 120 F. The aqueous composition consists of water, a water-soluble organic gelling agent, an oxidizing agent to supply free radicals, and a reducing agent to accelerate the generation of free radicals. Reducing agents are water-soluble metal salts of the halides, sulfates, nitrates or mixtures thereof. Oxidizing agents are water-soluble peroxides, persulfates or mixtures thereof. Gelling agents may be sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylic acid, polysodium-2-acrylamide-3-propylsulfonate polyacrylamides or polymetharylamides that have been hydrolyzed from 0 to 70% and neturalized with ammonium or alkali metal hydroxides; or gums such as guar, locust bean, taaga tragacanth, hydroxyethyl guar, hydroxy-propyl guar, carboxymethyl guar or mixtures thereof. 22 claims.

Area-Wide Management of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the New Orleans French Quarter

Science.gov (United States)

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (FST) was first introduced to the continental US after WWII. New Orleans’ French Quarter (FQ) in particular has been severely impacted experiencing reoccurring cycles of damages and repairs since FST was introduced to the region 65 ye...

The visual system in subterranean African mole-rats (Rodentia, Bathyergidae): Retina, subcortical visual nuclei and primary visual cortex

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Němec, P.; Cveková, P.; Benada, Oldřich; Wielkopolska, E.; Olkowitz, S.; Turlejski, K.; Burda, H.; Bennett, N. C.; Peichl, L.

2008-01-01

Roč. 75, 2-4 (2008), s. 356-364 ISSN 0361-9230 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) GA206/06/1469; ZA(ZA) 2069070 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : microphthalmia * ocular regression * subterranean mammals Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.281, year: 2008

α-Tocopherol and β-carotene contents of forage species in four-cut system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindquist, H.; Nadeau, A.; Jensen, Søren Krogh

2014-01-01

α-Tocopherol and β-carotene concentrations were measured in herbage of birdsfoot trefoil (Bft), red clover (Rc), white clover (Wc), timothy (Ti) and perennial ryegrass (Pr) grown in four mixtures (Bft+Ti, Rc+Ti, Rc+Pr and Wc+Pr) in a small-plot field experiment at Foulum, Denmark, over 2 years. P......-carotene concentrations were 54 and 62 mg kg−1 DM. In conclusion, herbage of birdsfoot trefoil generally had higher vitamin concentrations than white or red clover, but differences between the two grass species were small and inconsistent....

Bicarbonate as tracer for plant assimilated C and homogeneity of 14C and 15N distribution in ryegrass and white clover tissue by alternative labeling approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jim; Kusliene, Gedrime; Jacobsen, Ole Stig

2013-01-01

that 15N also had a heterogeneous distribution (up to two orders of magnitude). Conclusion Bicarbonate can efficiently be used to introduce 14C or 13C into plant via the leaf-labeling method. Both 14C and 15N showed heterogeneous distribution in the plant, although the distribution of 15N was more even......Aims: Application of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotopes is an essential tool to study C and N flows in plant-soil-microorganisms systems. When targeting single plants in a community the tracers need to be added via e.g., leaf-labeling or stem-feeding approaches. In this study we: (i) investigated...... if bicarbonate can be used to introduce 14C (or 13C) into white clover and ryegrass, and (ii) compared the patterns of 14C and 15N allocation in white clover and ryegrass to evaluate the homogeneity of tracer distribution after two alternative labeling approaches. Methods Perennial ryegrass and white clover were...

Potential of kaolin-based particle film barriers for Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) control

Science.gov (United States)

Wiltz, B.A.; Woodson, W.D.; Puterka, G.J.

2010-01-01

Effects of three particle film products on Formosan subterranean termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were evaluated in feeding, tunneling, and contact assays. The particle films, hydrophobic M96-018 and hydrophilic Surround and Surround WP are based on the inert clay mineral kaolin. In 2-week long no-choice feeding tests, significant mortality occurred only with M96-018-coated wood. When a choice was provided, M96-018 and Surround were consumed at higher rates than untreated wood. Surround WP did not differ from controls in either test. In the tunneling assay termites were given the option of crossing a kaolin-sand mixture to reach an alternate food source. After 3-weeks, rates of 1% and 5% M96-018 provided an effective barrier to Formosan termite tunneling, while termites were not stopped by rates as high as 20% Surround and Surround WP. Dust treatments of all three formulations caused significant increases in mortality within 24 h, with mortality rates ranging from 72.0 - 97.3% within 72 h of treatment. The particle films were most effective when moisture levels were low, suggesting that desiccation was the mechanism for mortality. All particle films showed potential for use in above ground applications while hydrophobic M06-018 has the most potential as a soil barrier to subterranean termites.

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil of the Subterranean Parts of Valeriana alliariifolia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kemal Husnu Can Baser

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The subterranean parts of Valeriana alliariifolia Adams were subjected to hydrodistillation and traceamount of essential oil was obtained. The chemical composition of the oil was identified by using capillary GasChromatography (GC and GC/MS simultaneously. In total 68 constituents were identified, representing 87.6 %of the total oil. The essential oil was dominated by isovaleric acid (28.6%, which is followed by -guaiane(7.2%, -humulene (4.7%, hexadecanoic acid (4.3%, valeric acid (3.7% and humulene epoxide-II (3.6% asthe major components.

Effect of harvest time of red and white clover silage on chewing activity and particle size distribution in boli, rumen content and faeces in cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kornfelt, L F; Nørgaard, P; Weisbjerg, M R

2013-06-01

The study examined the effects of harvest time of red and white clover silage on eating and ruminating activity and particle size distribution in feed boli, rumen content and faeces in cows. The clover crops were harvested at two stages of growth and ensiled in bales. Red clover crops had 36% and 45% NDF in dry matter (DM) at early (ER) and late (LR) harvest, respectively, and the white clover crops had 19% and 29% NDF in DM at the early (EW) and late (LW) harvest, respectively. The silages were fed restrictively (80% of ad libitum intake) twice daily to four rumen cannulated non-lactating Jersey cows (588 ± 52 kg) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Jaw movements (JM) were recorded for 96 h continuously. Swallowed boli, rumen mat, rumen fluid and faeces samples were collected, washed in nylon bags (0.01 mm pore size) and freeze-dried before dry sieving through 4.750, 2.360, 1.000, 0.500, 0.212 and 0.106 mm into seven fractions. The length (PL) and width (PW) values of rumen and faeces particles within each fraction were measured by use of image analysis. The eating activity (min/kg DM intake; P rumen mat (P rumen fluid (P rumen mat and faeces, but only one peak (mode 1) for PL values. There was no difference in the mean and mode 1 PW and PL value in rumen mat between the four treatments. The mean PL, mode PL, mode 2 PW and mean PW in faeces were highest for LR (P rumen mat and faeces particles are most likely related to the leaves and the stems/petioles. In conclusion, the mean total chewing activity per kg DM was lowest for the white clover silage and increased for both silages due to later harvest time. The mean particle size in boli was smallest for LR, whereas the mean PL and PW in faeces were highest for the LR.

Uptake and Distribution of Added Selenite and Selenate by Barley and Red Clover as Influenced by Sulphur

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Gunnar Gissel

1973-01-01

The uptake of added Se from selenite and selenate by barley and red clover was investigated in a pot experiment. Much more of selenate than of selenite was taken up but the Se concentrations in the plants declined more with time when selenate was the source. Increasing sulphate addition to the soil...

A line technology of subterranean mining by means of nuclear explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gushchin, V.V.; Vasin, K.D.; Nifontov, B.I.; Odrov, Yu.L.; Myasnikov, K.V.; Kol'tsov, V.M.; Kornev, G.N.; Degtyarev, V.A.

1976-01-01

The basic principles of a line technology of extracting firm ores, including break-up of ore by means of subterranean nuclear explosions, the removal of ore from sorting blocks by means of vibrator feeders and transporting it to intermediate levels via a new type of belt conveyor on mobile supports are considered. A method of crushing ore by nuclear explosions on reflecting surfaces is proposed to obtain a more uniform fragmentation of ore, increase the output of fragmented ore per unit capacity, and to preserve mining output. The basic principles of designing a system of mining based on a line technology are formulated and one variant of such a system is presented

Roots of symptom-free leguminous cover crop and living mulch species harbor diverse Fusarium communities that show highly variable aggressiveness on pea (Pisum sativum).

Science.gov (United States)

Šišić, Adnan; Baćanović-Šišić, Jelena; Karlovsky, Petr; Wittwer, Raphaël; Walder, Florian; Campiglia, Enio; Radicetti, Emanuele; Friberg, Hanna; Baresel, Jörg Peter; Finckh, Maria R

2018-01-01

Leguminous cover crop and living mulch species show not only great potential for providing multiple beneficial services to agro-ecosystems, but may also present pathological risks for other crops in rotations through shared pathogens, especially those of the genus Fusarium. Disease severity on roots of subterranean clover, white clover, winter and summer vetch grown as cover crop and living mulch species across five European sites as well as the frequency, distribution and aggressiveness to pea of Fusarium spp. recovered from the roots were assessed in 2013 and 2014. Disease symptoms were very low at all sites. Nevertheless, out of 1480 asymptomatic roots, 670 isolates of 14 Fusarium spp. were recovered. The most frequently isolated species in both years from all hosts were F. oxysporum and F. avenaceum accounting for 69% of total isolation percentage. They were common at the Swiss, Italian and German sites, whereas at the Swedish site F. oxysporum dominated and F. avenaceum occurred only rarely. The agressiveness and effect on pea biomass were tested in greenhouse assays for 72 isolates of six Fusarium species. Isolates of F. avenaceum caused severe root rot symptoms with mean severity index (DI) of 82 and 74% mean biomass reduction compared to the non-inoculated control. Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani isolates were higly variable in agressiveness and their impact on pea biomass. DI varied between 15 and 50 and biomass changes relative to the non-inoculated control -40% to +10%. Isolates of F. tricinctum, F. acuminatum and F. equiseti were non to weakly agressive often enhancing pea biomass. This study shows that some of the major pea pathogens are characterized by high ecological plasticity and have the ability to endophytically colonize the hosts studied that thus may serve as inoculum reservoir for susceptible main legume grain crops such as pea.

Roots of symptom-free leguminous cover crop and living mulch species harbor diverse Fusarium communities that show highly variable aggressiveness on pea (Pisum sativum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan Šišić

Full Text Available Leguminous cover crop and living mulch species show not only great potential for providing multiple beneficial services to agro-ecosystems, but may also present pathological risks for other crops in rotations through shared pathogens, especially those of the genus Fusarium. Disease severity on roots of subterranean clover, white clover, winter and summer vetch grown as cover crop and living mulch species across five European sites as well as the frequency, distribution and aggressiveness to pea of Fusarium spp. recovered from the roots were assessed in 2013 and 2014. Disease symptoms were very low at all sites. Nevertheless, out of 1480 asymptomatic roots, 670 isolates of 14 Fusarium spp. were recovered. The most frequently isolated species in both years from all hosts were F. oxysporum and F. avenaceum accounting for 69% of total isolation percentage. They were common at the Swiss, Italian and German sites, whereas at the Swedish site F. oxysporum dominated and F. avenaceum occurred only rarely. The agressiveness and effect on pea biomass were tested in greenhouse assays for 72 isolates of six Fusarium species. Isolates of F. avenaceum caused severe root rot symptoms with mean severity index (DI of 82 and 74% mean biomass reduction compared to the non-inoculated control. Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani isolates were higly variable in agressiveness and their impact on pea biomass. DI varied between 15 and 50 and biomass changes relative to the non-inoculated control -40% to +10%. Isolates of F. tricinctum, F. acuminatum and F. equiseti were non to weakly agressive often enhancing pea biomass. This study shows that some of the major pea pathogens are characterized by high ecological plasticity and have the ability to endophytically colonize the hosts studied that thus may serve as inoculum reservoir for susceptible main legume grain crops such as pea.

Roots of symptom-free leguminous cover crop and living mulch species harbor diverse Fusarium communities that show highly variable aggressiveness on pea (Pisum sativum)

Science.gov (United States)

Baćanović-Šišić, Jelena; Karlovsky, Petr; Wittwer, Raphaël; Walder, Florian; Campiglia, Enio; Radicetti, Emanuele; Friberg, Hanna; Baresel, Jörg Peter; Finckh, Maria R.

2018-01-01

Leguminous cover crop and living mulch species show not only great potential for providing multiple beneficial services to agro-ecosystems, but may also present pathological risks for other crops in rotations through shared pathogens, especially those of the genus Fusarium. Disease severity on roots of subterranean clover, white clover, winter and summer vetch grown as cover crop and living mulch species across five European sites as well as the frequency, distribution and aggressiveness to pea of Fusarium spp. recovered from the roots were assessed in 2013 and 2014. Disease symptoms were very low at all sites. Nevertheless, out of 1480 asymptomatic roots, 670 isolates of 14 Fusarium spp. were recovered. The most frequently isolated species in both years from all hosts were F. oxysporum and F. avenaceum accounting for 69% of total isolation percentage. They were common at the Swiss, Italian and German sites, whereas at the Swedish site F. oxysporum dominated and F. avenaceum occurred only rarely. The agressiveness and effect on pea biomass were tested in greenhouse assays for 72 isolates of six Fusarium species. Isolates of F. avenaceum caused severe root rot symptoms with mean severity index (DI) of 82 and 74% mean biomass reduction compared to the non-inoculated control. Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani isolates were higly variable in agressiveness and their impact on pea biomass. DI varied between 15 and 50 and biomass changes relative to the non-inoculated control -40% to +10%. Isolates of F. tricinctum, F. acuminatum and F. equiseti were non to weakly agressive often enhancing pea biomass. This study shows that some of the major pea pathogens are characterized by high ecological plasticity and have the ability to endophytically colonize the hosts studied that thus may serve as inoculum reservoir for susceptible main legume grain crops such as pea. PMID:29444142

Interactions between biochar and mycorrhizal fungi in a water-stressed agricultural soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Mickan, Bede S; Abbott, Lynette K; Stefanova, Katia; Solaiman, Zakaria M

2016-08-01

Biochar may alleviate plant water stress in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi but research has not been conclusive. Therefore, a glasshouse experiment was conducted to understand how interactions between AM fungi and plants respond to biochar application under water-stressed conditions. A twin chamber pot system was used to determine whether a woody biochar increased root colonisation by a natural AM fungal population in a pasture soil ('field' chamber) and whether this was associated with increased growth of extraradical AM fungal hyphae detected by plants growing in an adjacent ('bait') chamber containing irradiated soil. The two chambers were separated by a mesh that excluded roots. Subterranean clover was grown with and without water stress and harvested after 35, 49 and 63 days from each chamber. When biochar was applied to the field chamber under water-stressed conditions, shoot mass increased in parallel with mycorrhizal colonisation, extraradical hyphal length and shoot phosphorus concentration. AM fungal colonisation of roots in the bait chamber indicated an increase in extraradical mycorrhizal hyphae in the field chamber. Biochar had little effect on AM fungi or plant growth under well-watered conditions. The biochar-induced increase in mycorrhizal colonisation was associated with increased growth of extraradical AM fungal hyphae in the pasture soil under water-stressed conditions.

Gene expression polymorphisms and ESTs associated with gravitropic response of subterranean branch meristems and growth habit in Leymus wildryes

Science.gov (United States)

Parminder Kaur; Ivan W. Mott; Steven R. Larson; B. Shaun Bushman; Alvaro G. Hernandez; W. Ryan Kim; Lei Liu; Mark A. Mikel

2008-01-01

Negatively orthogeotropic (NOGT) tiller and diageotropic (DGT) rhizome meristems develop from the same type of lateral axillary meristems and phytomer structure. Although subterranean NOGT and DGT buds appear similar, they display different responses to gravity and perhaps other cues governing branch angle and overall growth habit (GH). Leymus wildryes show remarkable...

Forage production in mixed grazing systems of elephant grass with arrowleaf clover or forage peanut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daiane Cristine Seibt

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Most dairy production systems are pasture-based, usually consisting of sole grass species. This system facilitates pasture management, but results in high production costs, mainly because of nitrogen fertilizers. An alternative to making forage systems more sustainable is to introduce legumes into the pasture. Mixed pastures allow better forage distribution over time and reduce fertilization costs. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate, throughout the year, three forage systems (FS: FS1 (control - elephant grass (EG, ryegrass (RG, and spontaneous species (SS; FS2 - EG + RG + SS + arrowleaf clover; and FS3 - EG + RG + SS + forage peanut. Elephant grass was planted in rows spaced 4 m apart. Ryegrass was sown between the EG lines, in the winter. Arrowleaf clover was sown according to the respective treatments and forage peanut was preserved. Evaluation was carried out using Holstein cows. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design, with three treatments (FS, and three repetitions (paddocks with repeated measurements (grazing cycles. Forage mass achieved 3.46, 3.80, and 3.91 t ha-1 for the treatments FS1, FS2 and FS3, respectively. The forage systems intercropped with legumes produced the best results.

Two new species of the Pterostichus macrogenys species group (Coleoptera, Carabidae discovered in shallow subterranean habitats in northern Honshu, Japan

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Kôji Sasakawa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Shallow subterranean environments have recently received attention as a habitat for Carabidae beetles, and many new species have been discovered using collection techniques devised for this habitat. We report the discovery of two new species of the macrogenys species group of the Pterostichus subgenus Nialoe Tanaka, 1958, collected by subterranean baited traps in northern Honshu, Japan. Pterostichus shinbodakensis Sasakawa & Itô, sp. n. is described from Mt. Shinbodake, Niigata Prefecture, and P. tateishiyamanus Sasakawa & Itô, sp. n. is described from the southeastern foot of Mt. Tateishiyama, Fukushima Prefecture. Comparative male genital morphology shows that among the known species, the two new species are most closely related to P. falcispinus Sasakawa, 2005 and P. chokaisanus Sasakawa, 2009, respectively. In addition, sympatric occurrence of P. shinbodakensis with a smaller, unidentified species of the species group was also confirmed. The implications of these results for future studies of the macrogenys species group, as well as those of Nialoe, are discussed.

A note on the effects of paddock size on the white clover content of swards grazed by sheep

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wolf, de P.L.; Schulte, R.P.O.; Lantinga, E.A.

2004-01-01

The maintenance of a high white clover content in mixed swards under sheep grazing has been a challenge to date. This paper presents the results of an experiment in which the effect of the length of a grazing period on the botanical composition of a mixed sward was studied. Paddocks ranging in size

Fatty acid composition of ruminal digesta and longissimus muscle from lambs fed silage mixtures including red clover, sainfoin, and timothy.

Science.gov (United States)

Campidonico, L; Toral, P G; Priolo, A; Luciano, G; Valenti, B; Hervás, G; Frutos, P; Copani, G; Ginane, C; Niderkorn, V

2016-04-01

This work investigated the effects of feeding silage mixtures of a plant containing polyphenol oxidase (PPO; red clover [; RC]), a plant containing tannins (sainfoin [; SF]), and a grass species not containing these compounds (timothy [; T]) on ruminal and intramuscular (i.m.) fatty acids of lambs. Forty 4-mo-old castrated male Romane lambs, divided into 5 groups, received 1 of the following silages: 1) T (100%), 2) a binary mixture of timothy and tannin-containing sainfoin ( cv. Perly; 50:50 [T-SF]), 3) a binary mixture of timothy and PPO-containing red clover ( cv. Mervius; 50:50 [T-RC]), 4) a ternary mixture of timothy, sainfoin, and red clover containing both tannins and PPO (50:25:25, respectively [T-SF-RC]), and 5) a binary mixture of tannin-containing sainfoin and PPO-containing red clover (50:50 [SF-RC]). In the rumen digesta, the partial or total replacement of T with forage legumes was associated with greater concentrations of PUFA ( forage legumes in the silage favored the accumulation of 18:3 -3 ( Forage legumes decreased the -11 18:1 to 30% of T in rumen digesta ( Forage legumes decreased the total concentration of branched-chain fatty acids in the rumen digesta (on average, -28%; comparison with T. The dietary treatment tended to affect the proportion of MUFA ( = 0.081) and of PUFA ( = 0.079) in the i.m. fat of the LM, respectively, at the highest and lowest numerical value in the T group. The sum of -3 fatty acids was less in the T and T-SF groups compared with the mixture of legumes without T (SF-RC; comparison with lambs given T-RC, T-SF-RC, and SF-RC. Rumenic acid (-9 -11 CLA) was detected at a greater percentage in the LM from the animals fed the T silage compared with animals fed the T-SF-RC treatment ( = 0.004). Contrarily, -9 -12 -15 18:3 was found at a greater concentration in the muscle from lambs in the SF-RC treatment compared with lambs in the other treatments ( forage for growing lambs in terms of i.m. fatty acid composition.

Use of biocides for the control of fungal outbreaks in subterranean environments: The case of the Lascaux Cave in France

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Martín-Sánchez, P.M.; Nováková, Alena; Bastian, F.; Alabouvette, C.; Saiz-Jimenez, C.

2012-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 7 (2012), s. 3762-3770 ISSN 0013-936X Grant - others:Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ES) TCP CSD2007-00058 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : fungal outbreaks * subterranean environments * Lascaux Cave Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 5.257, year: 2012

Quantitative historical change in bumblebee (Bombus spp. assemblages of red clover fields.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoko L Dupont

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Flower visiting insects provide a vitally important pollination service for many crops and wild plants. Recent decline of pollinating insects due to anthropogenic modification of habitats and climate, in particular from 1950's onwards, is a major and widespread concern. However, few studies document the extent of declines in species diversity, and no studies have previously quantified local abundance declines. We here make a quantitative assessment of recent historical changes in bumblebee assemblages by comparing contemporary and historical survey data. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We take advantage of detailed, quantitative historical survey data from the 1930's on bumblebee (Bombus spp. abundances and species composition in red clover (Trifolium pratense fields, an important floral resource and an attractant of all bumblebee species. We used the historical survey data as a pre-industrialization baseline, and repeated the same sampling protocol at nearly the same localities at present, hence setting up a historical experiment. We detected historical changes in abundances (bees/m(2 of both workers (the "pollinatory units" and queens (effective population size, in addition to species composition. In particular, long-tongued bumblebee species showed consistent and dramatic declines in species richness and abundances throughout the flowering season of red clover, while short-tongued species were largely unaffected. Of 12 Bombus species observed in the 1930's, five species were not observed at present. The latter were all long-tongued, late-emerging species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Because bumblebees are important pollinators, historical changes in local bumblebee assemblages are expected to severely affect plant reproduction, in particular long-tubed species, which are pollinated by long-tongued bumblebees.

Effect of digestibility of grass-clover silage and concentrate to forage ratio on methane emission from dairy cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

and D, respectively. TMR forage DM consisted of 2/3 of one of the respective grass-clover silages and 1/3 maize silage, and concentrate (soya meal and wheat) proportion of DM was 20% (low) or 50% (high). Methane emissions from the cows were measured 20-22 hours in one of four chambers working after...

The influence of phosphorus deficiency on growth and nitrogen fixation of white clover plants

OpenAIRE

Høgh-Jensen, Dr Henning; Schjoerring, Dr Jan K.; Soussana, Dr Jean-Francois

2002-01-01

The effects of P deficiency on growth, N2‐fixation and photosynthesis in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) plants were investigated using three contrasting relative addition rates of P, or following abrupt withdrawal of the P supply. Responses to a constant below‐optimum P supply rate consisted of a decline in N2‐fixation per unit root weight and a small reduction in the efficiency with which electrons were allocated to the reduction of N2 in nodules. Abrupt removal of P arrested nodule grow...

Social modulation of the daily activity rhythm in a solitary subterranean rodent, the tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sp) : SI: Chronobiology in Latin America

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tomotani, Barbara Mizumo; Amaya, Juan Pablo; Oda, Gisele Akemi; Valentinuzzi, Veronica Sandra

2016-01-01

Abstract South American subterranean rodents are mainly described as solitary and mutual synchronization was never observed among individuals maintained together in laboratory. We report that a single birth event was capable of disrupting the robust nocturnal activity rhythm of singly housed

A study of the wet deposit and foliar uptake of iodine and strontium on rye-grass and clover

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angeletti, Livio; Levi, Emilio; Commission of the European Communities, Ispra

1977-12-01

Foliar uptake of iodine and strontium by rye-grass and clover was studied as a function of aspersion intensities. At the same time, the contribution of root sorption to foliar uptake was measured. The effective half-lives of radionuclides of standing and harvested grass were also determined together with their uptake under the action of demineralized water aspersion [fr

Shrimps down under: evolutionary relationships of subterranean crustaceans from Western Australia (Decapoda: Atyidae: Stygiocaris.

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Timothy J Page

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We investigated the large and small scale evolutionary relationships of the endemic Western Australian subterranean shrimp genus Stygiocaris (Atyidae using nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Stygiocaris is part of the unique cave biota of the coastal, anchialine, limestones of the Cape Range and Barrow Island, most of whose nearest evolutionary relations are found in coastal caves of the distant North Atlantic. The dominance of atyids in tropical waters and their food resources suggest they are pivotal in understanding these groundwater ecosystems. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: Our nuclear and mitochondrial analyses all recovered the Mexican cave genus Typhlatya as the sister taxon of Stygiocaris, rather than any of the numerous surface and cave atyids from Australia or the Indo-Pacific region. The two described Stygiocaris species were recovered as monophyletic, and a third, cryptic, species was discovered at a single site, which has very different physiochemical properties from the sites hosting the two described species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that Stygiocaris and Typhlatya may descend from a common ancestor that lived in the coastal marine habitat of the ancient Tethys Sea, and were subsequently separated by plate tectonic movements. This vicariant process is commonly thought to explain the many disjunct anchialine faunas, but has rarely been demonstrated using phylogenetic techniques. The Cape Range's geological dynamism, which is probably responsible for the speciation of the various Stygiocaris species, has also led to geographic population structure within species. In particular, Stygiocaris lancifera is split into northern and southern groups, which correspond to population splits within other sympatric subterranean taxa.

Microbial biomass, microbial diversity, soil carbon storage, and stability after incubation of soil from grass-clover pastures of different age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller-Stöver, Dorette Sophie; Hauggaard-Nielsen, Henrik; Eriksen, Jørgen

2012-01-01

A laboratory incubation study with clover grass pasture soils of seven different ages (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 16 production years) was carried out to determine initial soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks and potentials for greenhouse gas emissions (N2O and CO2). Compared with the soil from...... the recently established pasture, an increase of total soil C and N was observed along with pasture age. Greenhouse gas emissions were low and not significantly different among the soils from younger pastures (0-5 years), but especially N2O emissions increased markedly in the soil from 16-year-old grass......-clover. Low emissions might mainly be due to an early C limitation occurring in the soils from younger pastures, which was also corroborated by decreasing levels of cold water-extractable C and early shifts within the microbial community. However, higher emissions from the old pasture soil were offset by its...

Nutritional ecology of the formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): feeding response to commercial wood species.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Ramos, J A; Rojas, M G

2001-04-01

The feeding preferences of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were tested in three separate experiments on 28 different wood species. Experiment 1 was a multiple-choice test designed to test relative preferences among 24 wood species commercially available in New Orleans, LA. Experiment 2 was a similar study designed to test relative preferences among 21 wood species shown or reported to be unpalatable to the Formosan subterranean termite. Experiment 3 was a no-choice test to examine the feeding deterrence of the 10 least preferred wood species. Preference was determined by consumption rates. Birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton), red gum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), Parana pine [Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) 1, sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), pecan (Carya illinoensis Wangenh.), and northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) were the most preferred species by C. formosanus in order of consumption rate. All of these species were significantly more preferred than southern yellow pine (Pinus taeda L.), widely used for monitoring. Sinker cypress [ = old growth bald cypress, Taxodium distichum (L.)], western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn), Alaskan yellow cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis D. Don), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), sassafras [Sassafras albidum (Nutt.)], Spanish cedar (Cedrella odorata L.), Honduras mahogany (Swietenia macrophyla King), Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.), Honduras rosewood (D. stevensonii Standl.), and morado (Machaerium sp.) induced significant feeding deterrence and mortality to C. formosanus. The last eight species produced 100% mortality after 3 mo.

Sustainable Management of Subterranean Termite Populations (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Armstrong Park, New Orleans, With Durable Baits.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Nan-Yao; Guidry, Eric; Cottone, Carrie

2016-03-27

Durable baits, Recruit HD, were installed in 45 Sentricon stations between September 2010 and July 2014 in the 32-acre Armstrong Park, New Orleans. After eliminating all detectable termite colonies in the Park, 6-12 mo elapsed before new activity was detected. Newly invading termite colonies were usually found near the Park border or were smaller colonies that originated from recently paired alates. After colony elimination, Recruit HD baits were left in the stations to intercept newly invading colonies of subterranean termites, leading to their elimination, and multiple cycles of such interception and elimination events were recorded. Because the presence of Recruit HD baits continues to eliminate incoming colonies with little effort in maintaining and resupplying baits in the target areas, the bait system offers an economically sustainable option for managing subterranean termite populations in a large area. The 32-acre Armstrong Park is a manageable size to carry out an area-wide (AW) project. If the number of such AW projects is gradually increased over time in selected metro areas of New Orleans, we predict that we may be able to turn the tide against the ever-increasing populations ofC. formosanusin the entire city. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sharing the space: distribution, habitat segregation and delimitation of a new sympatric area of subterranean rodents.

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Bruno Busnello Kubiak

Full Text Available Subterranean rodents of the genus Ctenomys usually present an allopatric or parapatric distribution. Currently, two cases of sympatry have been recognized for the genus in the coastal dunes of southern Argentina and southern Brazil. In this context, they are ideal models to test hypotheses about the factors that delimit the patterns of space use and to understand interspecific interactions in small mammals. We investigated the vegetation structure, plant biomass and soil hardness selected by two species of subterranean rodents (Ctenomys flamarioni and C. minutus when distributed in sympatry and allopatry from nine different areas along the line of coastal dunes in southern Brazil. In addition, our work presents a new record of a third area of sympatry for the genus Ctenomys. Ctenomys flamarioni and C. minutus show habitat segregation in the area where they occur in sympatry. These species show segregation in their selection of microhabitats, differing in relation to soil hardness, plant biomass, and plant cover. Ctenomys flamarioni showed a distinction in habitat selection when occurring in allopatry and sympatry, whereas C. minutus selected the same habitat characteristics under both conditions. A possible explanation to the observed pattern is that these species have acquired different adaptations over time which allows them the ability to exploit different resources and thus avoid competitive interactions all together.

The beneficial effect of dual inoculation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae + rhizobium on growth of white clover

OpenAIRE

Lin, XG.; Hao, WY.; Wu, TH.

1993-01-01

Investigation on the effect of phosphorus on vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection, and dual inoculation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae + rhizobium on growth of white clover under field microplots and pot experiments was conducted on fluvo-aquic soils of semi-arid region in north China. The results showed that 60 kg P205 ha in form of superphosphate was the most favorable phosphorus level for vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection ; mycorrhizal infection, nodulation, dry weight ...

Mineral concentrations of forage legumes and grasses grown in acidic soil amended with flue gas desulfurization products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, R.B.; Baligar, V.C. [USDA ARS, Beltsville, MD (USA). Beltsville Agricultural Research Center West

2003-07-01

Considerable quantities of flue gas desulfurization products (FGDs) are generated when coal is burned for production of electricity, and these products have the potential to be reused rather than discarded. Use of FGDs as soil amendments could be important in overall management of these products, especially on acidic soils. Glasshouse studies were conducted to determine shoot concentrations of calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), boron (B), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), sodium (Na), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens), orchardgrass (Dacrylis glomerata), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grown in acidic (pH 4) soil (Typic Hapludult) amended with various levels of three FGDs and the control compounds CaCO{sub 3}, CaSO{sub 3}, and CaSO{sub 4}. Shoot concentrations of Ca, S, Mg, and B generally increased as levels of soil applied FGD increased. Concentrations of Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu were lower in shoots, especially when soil pH was high ({gt}7). Shoot concentrations of the trace elements Mo, Ni, Cd, Cr, and Pb were not above those reported as normal for foliage. Overall concentrations of most minerals remained near normal for shoots when plants were grown in FGD amended acidic soil.

Identification of an extensive gene cluster among a family of PPOs in Trifolium pratense L. (red clover using a large insert BAC library

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Ann

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Polyphenol oxidase (PPO activity in plants is a trait with potential economic, agricultural and environmental impact. In relation to the food industry, PPO-induced browning causes unacceptable discolouration in fruit and vegetables: from an agriculture perspective, PPO can protect plants against pathogens and environmental stress, improve ruminant growth by increasing nitrogen absorption and decreasing nitrogen loss to the environment through the animal's urine. The high PPO legume, red clover, has a significant economic and environmental role in sustaining low-input organic and conventional farms. Molecular markers for a range of important agricultural traits are being developed for red clover and improved knowledge of PPO genes and their structure will facilitate molecular breeding. Results A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC library comprising 26,016 BAC clones with an average 135 Kb insert size, was constructed from Trifolium pratense L. (red clover, a diploid legume with a haploid genome size of 440–637 Mb. Library coverage of 6–8 genome equivalents ensured good representation of genes: the library was screened for polyphenol oxidase (PPO genes. Two single copy PPO genes, PPO4 and PPO5, were identified to add to a family of three, previously reported, paralogous genes (PPO1–PPO3. Multiple PPO1 copies were identified and characterised revealing a subfamily comprising three variants PPO1/2, PPO1/4 and PPO1/5. Six PPO genes clustered within the genome: four separate BAC clones could be assembled onto a predicted 190–510 Kb single BAC contig. Conclusion A PPO gene family in red clover resides as a cluster of at least 6 genes. Three of these genes have high homology, suggesting a more recent evolutionary event. This PPO cluster covers a longer region of the genome than clusters detected in rice or previously reported in tomato. Full-length coding sequences from PPO4, PPO5, PPO1/5 and PPO1/4 will facilitate

Rhythmic 24 h variation of core body temperature and locomotor activity in a subterranean rodent (Ctenomys aff. knighti, the tuco-tuco.

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Patricia Tachinardi

Full Text Available The tuco-tuco Ctenomys aff. knighti is a subterranean rodent which inhabits a semi-arid area in Northwestern Argentina. Although they live in underground burrows where environmental cycles are attenuated, they display robust, 24 h locomotor activity rhythms that are synchronized by light/dark cycles, both in laboratory and field conditions. The underground environment also poses energetic challenges (e.g. high-energy demands of digging, hypoxia, high humidity, low food availability that have motivated thermoregulation studies in several subterranean rodent species. By using chronobiological protocols, the present work aims to contribute towards these studies by exploring day-night variations of thermoregulatory functions in tuco-tucos, starting with body temperature and its temporal relationship to locomotor activity. Animals showed daily, 24 h body temperature rhythms that persisted even in constant darkness and temperature, synchronizing to a daily light/dark cycle, with highest values occurring during darkness hours. The range of oscillation of body temperature was slightly lower than those reported for similar-sized and dark-active rodents. Most rhythmic parameters, such as period and phase, did not change upon removal of the running wheel. Body temperature and locomotor activity rhythms were robustly associated in time. The former persisted even after removal of the acute effects of intense activity on body temperature by a statistical method. Finally, regression gradients between body temperature and activity were higher in the beginning of the night, suggesting day-night variation in thermal conductance and heat production. Consideration of these day-night variations in thermoregulatory processes is beneficial for further studies on thermoregulation and energetics of subterranean rodents.

Amino acid profile of metabolisable protein in lactating dairy cows is affected by dry matter concentration in grass-clover silage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Marianne; Lund, Peter; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

2018-01-01

Our previous study showed that supply of metabolisable protein (MP) to lactating dairy cows increased with increasing dry matter (DM) concentration in grass-clover silage. The aim of this study was to examine how amino acid (AA) profile of MP was affected by silage DM concentration. Eight grass-c...

The clover technique for the treatment of complex tricuspid valve insufficiency: midterm clinical and echocardiographic results in 66 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapenna, Elisabetta; De Bonis, Michele; Verzini, Alessandro; La Canna, Giovanni; Ferrara, David; Calabrese, Maria Chiara; Taramasso, Maurizio; Alfieri, Ottavio

2010-06-01

This study assesses the results of the 'clover technique' (suturing together the middle point of the free edges of the tricuspid leaflets) for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) due to severe prolapse or tethering. From 2001, 66 patients with severe TR due to prolapsing or tethered leaflets underwent 'clover repair'. Annuloplasty was associated in 64 patients (97%). The aetiology of TR was degenerative in 52 cases (79%), post-traumatic in eight (12%) and secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in six (9%). The main mechanism of TR was prolapse/flail of one leaflet in 15 patients (23%), of two leaflets in 31 (47%) and of all three leaflets in 14 (21%). The remaining six patients (9%) presented with severe leaflets' tethering. Four deaths (6%) occurred during hospitalisation and one patient died 3.6 years after surgery. Survival was 91 + or - 4.1% at 5 years. Follow-up of the 62 hospital survivors was 100% complete (mean length 3.5 + or - 1.6 years, range 13 months-7.1 years). At the last echocardiogram, no or mild TR was detected in 55 (88.7%) patients, moderate (2+/4+) in six (9.6%) and severe (4+/4+) in one patient (1.6%). Mean tricuspid valve area and gradient were 4.3 + or - 0.6 cm(2) and 2.8 + or -1.4 mmHg. In six patients, stress echocardiography was performed and no signs of tricuspid stenosis were detected. At the multivariable analysis, the degree of TR at hospital discharge was identified as the only predictor of TR > or = 2+ at follow-up. Midterm clinical and echocardiographic results confirm the role of the 'clover technique' in the surgical treatment of TR due to lesions, which are unlikely to be effectively treatable by annuloplasty alone. Copyright 2010 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forage fiber effects on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulze, A K S; Weisbjerg, M R; Storm, A C; Nørgaard, P

2014-06-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NDF content in highly digestible grass/clover silage on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in dairy heifers. The reduction in particle size from feed to feces was evaluated and related to feed intake, chewing activity, and apparent digestibility. Four grass/clover harvests (Mixtures of Lolium perenne, Trifolium pratense, and Trifolium repens) were performed from early May to late August at different maturities, at different regrowth stages, and with different clover proportions, resulting in silages with NDF contents of 312, 360, 371, and 446 g/kg DM, respectively, and decreasing NDF digestibility with greater NDF content. Four rumen-fistulated dairy heifers were fed silage at 90% of ad libitum level as the only feed source in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Silage, ingested feed boluses, medial and ventral ruminal digesta, and feces samples were washed with neutral detergent in nylon bags of 10-μm pore size, freeze dried, and divided into small (1 mm) particles by dry-sieving. Chewing activity, rumen pool size, and apparent digestibility were measured. Intake of NDF increased linearly from 2.3 to 2.8 kg/d with greater NDF content of forages (P = 0.01), but silages were exposed to similar eating time (P = 0.55) and rumination time per kg NDF (P = 0.35). No linear effect of NDF content was found on proportion of LP in ingested feed boluses (P = 0.31), medial rumen digesta (P = 0.95), ventral rumen digesta (P = 0.84), and feces (P = 0.09). Greater proportions of DM (P ruminal digesta compared with ventral rumen, and differences in DM proportion increased with greater NDF content (P = 0.02). Particle size distributions were similar for digesta from the medial and ventral rumen regardless of NDF content of the silages (P > 0.13). The LP proportion was >30% of particles in the ventral and medial rumen, whereas in the feces, the LP proportion was content of the silages

Report on the intercomparison run IAEA-156 radionuclides in clover

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strachnov, V.; Valkovic, V.; Dekner, R.

1991-01-01

This report contains the results of the intercomparison IAEA-156 on the determination of radionuclides in clover. Initially participants were requested to determine the levels of 134 Cs, 137 Cs, 40 K, 90 Sr and invited to provide data for other radionuclides. The participants included 46 laboratories located in 25 countries, and statistical evaluation of their data yield recommended values for these four radionuclides. Additional radionuclides reported were 210 Pb, 239 Pu and 125 Sb; however, insufficient data exists to statistically determine recommended values for these radionuclides. The following are the recommended values, with confidence intervals, for the most frequently measured radionuclides (reference date: 1 August 1986): 134 Cs 132.1 Bq/kg (126.4-137.7); 137 Cs 264 Bq/kg (254-274); 40 K 657 Bq/kg (637-676); 90 Sr 14.8 Bq/kg (13.4-16.3). Figs and tabs

Breeding biologies, pollinators and seed beetles of two prairie-clovers, Dalea ornata and D. searlsiae (Fabaceae: Amorpheae), from the Intermountain West USA

Science.gov (United States)

Two prairie-clovers, Dalea ornata and D. searlsiae, are perennial forbs that flower during early summer throughout the Colombia Plateau and Great Basin of the western USA, respectively. Their seed is desirable for use in rangeland restoration. We experimentally characterized the breeding biologies ...

Management Effects On Quality of Organically Grown Winter Wheat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Ingrid Kaag; Schweinzer, A.; Friedel, J. K.

2013-01-01

The potential for improving wheat grain quality by management strategies involving crop rotation, catch crops, and organic manure was tested in organic long-term experiments in Denmark and Austria. Growing grass clover in a four-year rotation resulted in a higher wheat yield increase that could n...

Utilization of kura clover-reed canarygrass silage versus alfalfa silage by lactating dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kammes, K L; Heemink, G B H; Albrecht, K A; Combs, D K

2008-08-01

The mixture of kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) has proven to be extremely persistent in the northern United States, but information about dairy cow performance on this mixture is lacking. Twenty lactating Holstein cows were used in a crossover design to compare dry matter (DM) intake and milk production from diets containing kura clover-reed canarygrass silage (KRS) or alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage (AS). Forages were cut, wilted, ensiled in horizontal plastic bags, and allowed to ferment for at least 50 d before beginning the feeding experiment. The KRS was approximately 40% kura clover and 60% reed canarygrass. Treatments were total mixed rations formulated with either 57% of total DM from 1) AS or 2) KRS. Experimental periods were 28 d, with the first 14 d for diet adaptation and the last 14 d for measurement of intake and milk production. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations of AS and KRS were 37.3 and 47.3%, respectively. The fermentation analyses indicated that both silages underwent a restricted fermentation, producing primarily lactic acid and some acetic acid. Dry matter intake (24.2 vs. 22.8 kg) and 4% fat-corrected milk (32.8 vs. 30.9 kg) were significantly higher for cows fed AS than for cows fed KRS. Cows consumed less NDF (6.7 vs. 8.0 kg) and less digestible NDF (3.0 vs. 4.4 kg) when fed AS diets compared with KRS diets, but the pool of ruminally undegraded NDF was similar (3.7 kg) between diets. Cows produced 1.5 kg of milk/kg of DM consumed regardless of the diet, indicating that digestible NDF of KRS was utilized with similar efficiency as the cell wall constituents of AS, but the intake of cows fed KRS may have been limited by rumen fill. Milk fat concentration tended to be higher for cows fed AS, but the milk true protein concentration and yields of fat and protein did not differ by treatment. Milk urea nitrogen content was higher when cows consumed AS (16.4 mg/ d

Uranium and barium cycling in a salt wedge subterranean estuary: The influence of tidal pumping

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, I.R.; Burnett, W.C.; Misra, S.; Suryaputra, I.G.N.A.; Chanton, J.P.; Dittmar, T.; Peterson, R.N.; Swarzenski, P.W.

2011-01-01

The contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to oceanic metal budgets is only beginning to be explored. Here, we demonstrate that biogeochemical processes in a northern Florida subterranean estuary (STE) significantly alter U and Ba concentrations entering the coastal ocean via SGD. Tidal pumping controlled the distribution of dissolved metals in shallow beach groundwater. Hourly observations of intertidal groundwaters revealed high U and low Ba concentrations at high tide as a result of seawater infiltration into the coastal aquifer. During ebb tide, U decreased and Ba increased due to freshwater dilution and, more importantly, biogeochemical reactions that removed U and added Ba to solution. U removal was apparently a result of precipitation following the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV). A significant correlation between Ba and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in shallow beach groundwaters implied a common source, likely the mineralization of marine particulate organic matter driven into the beach face by tidal pumping. In deeper groundwaters, where the labile organic matter had been depleted, Ba correlated with Mn. We estimate that net SGD fluxes were − 163 and + 1660 μmol m− 1 d− 1 for U and Ba, respectively (or − 1 and + 8 μmol m− 2 d− 1 if a 200-m wide seepage area is considered). Our results support the emerging concept that subterranean estuaries are natural biogeochemical reactors where metal concentrations are altered relative to conservative mixing between terrestrial and marine endmembers. These deviations from conservative mixing significantly influence SGD-derived trace metal fluxes.

Genetically Engineered Yeast Expressing a Lytic Peptide from Bee Venom (Melittin) Kills Symbiotic Protozoa in the Gut of Formosan Subterranean Termites.

Science.gov (United States)

Husseneder, Claudia; Donaldson, Jennifer R; Foil, Lane D

2016-01-01

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is a costly invasive urban pest in warm and humid regions around the world. Feeding workers of the Formosan subterranean termite genetically engineered yeast strains that express synthetic protozoacidal lytic peptides has been shown to kill the cellulose digesting termite gut protozoa, which results in death of the termite colony. In this study, we tested if Melittin, a natural lytic peptide from bee venom, could be delivered into the termite gut via genetically engineered yeast and if the expressed Melittin killed termites via lysis of symbiotic protozoa in the gut of termite workers and/or destruction of the gut tissue itself. Melittin expressing yeast did kill protozoa in the termite gut within 56 days of exposure. The expressed Melittin weakened the gut but did not add a synergistic effect to the protozoacidal action by gut necrosis. While Melittin could be applied for termite control via killing the cellulose-digesting protozoa in the termite gut, it is unlikely to be useful as a standalone product to control insects that do not rely on symbiotic protozoa for survival.

Mobilization and utilization of sparingly soluble phosphates by VA mycorrhizal fungus external hyphae I-32P indirectly labelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Qing; Zhao Zijuan; Feng Gu; Li Xiaolin; Chen Baodong

2000-01-01

Red clover were grown in three-compartment boxes, and were inoculated with VA mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus mosseae. External hyphae were separated from root system by 30 μm pore size membrane. Phosphorus fertilizer indirectly labelled with 32 P and five kind of phosphates were applied in the hyphae compartment, and the ability of external hyphae to mobilize the sparingly soluble phosphates were evaluated. the results showed that external hyphae mobilized and up took Ca 2 -P, Ca 8 -P, Al-P, Fe.P, but not Ca 10 -P. The phosphorus uptake by clover from phosphates and the contribution of phosphates to clover phosphorus nutrition were ranked as Ca 2 -P > Ca 8 -P, Al-P > Fe-P

Effect of toasting field beans and of grass-clover

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Lisbeth; Vestergaard, Jannie Steensig; Fretté, Xavier

2010-01-01

The effect of toasting field beans and of grass-clover: maize silage ratio on milk production, milk composition and the sensory quality of the milk was investigated in a 2   2 factorial experiment. Toasting of field beans resulted in lower milk contents of both fat (44.2 versus 46.1 g/kg, P = 0.......02) and protein (33.5 versus 34.2 g/kg, P = 0.008), whereas milk production, urea and somatic cell contents were unaffected compared with the untreated field beans. Increasing the proportion of maize silage (from 9 to 21% of DM) in the ration decreased the content of urea in milk (P = 0.002), whereas milk......-β-carotene (P = 0.04) and β-carotene (P = 0.05). Toasting of field beans compared with untreated field beans did not affect the milk content of carotenoids and had only small effects on fatty acid composition. Regarding the sensory quality, the four treatments resulted in milk being characterized...

Effects of forest management on running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum Muhl. Ex A. Eaton) distribution and abundance in the Fernow Experimental Forest

Science.gov (United States)

J.Q. Burkhart; J.R. Rentch; T.M. Schuler

2013-01-01

Identifying habitat preferences of species of concern is fundamental to the practice of conservation, but disturbances and other environmental processes can substantially affect suitability. Trifolium stoloniferum, or running buffalo clover, is a federally endangered plant species that occurs on the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia....

Annual maize and perennial grass-clover strip cropping for increased resource use efficiency and productivity using organic farming practice as a model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauggaard-Nielsen, Henrik; Johansen, Anders; Carter, Mette Sustmann

2013-01-01

A cropping system was designed to fulfill the increasing demand for biomass for food and energy without decreasing long term soil fertility. A field experiment was carried out including alternating strips of annual maize (Zea mays L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) – clover (Trifolium...

Measured and simulated performance of Compton-suppressed TIGRESS HPGe clover detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Schumaker, M. A.; Hackman, G.; Pearson, C. J.; Svensson, C. E.; Andreoiu, C.; Andreyev, A.; Austin, R. A. E.; Ball, G. C.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Boston, A. J.; Chakrawarthy, R. S.; Churchman, R.; Drake, T. E.; Finlay, P.; Garrett, P. E.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hyland, B.; Jones, B.; Maharaj, R.; Morton, A. C.; Phillips, A. A.; Sarazin, F.; Scraggs, H. C.; Smith, M. B.; Valiente-Dobón, J. J.; Waddington, J. C.; Watters, L. M.

2007-01-01

Tests of the performance of a 32-fold segmented HPGe clover detector coupled to a 20-fold segmented Compton-suppression shield, which form a prototype element of the TRIUMF-ISAC Gamma-Ray Escape-Suppressed Spectrometer (TIGRESS), have been made. Peak-to-total ratios and relative efficiencies have been measured for a variety of γ-ray energies. These measurements were used to validate a GEANT4 simulation of the TIGRESS detectors, which was then used to create a simulation of the full 12-detector array. Predictions of the expected performance of TIGRESS are presented. These predictions indicate that TIGRESS will be capable, for single 1 MeV γ rays, of absolute detection efficiencies of 17% and 9.4%, and peak-to-total ratios of 54% and 61% for the "high-efficiency" and "optimized peak-to-total" configurations of the array, respectively.

Distribution of radionuclides in leaf-stem biomass of lupine and clover under production of protein concentrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novikov, Yu.F.; Lobach, G.A.; Buzenko, T.A.; Zaretskaya, T.P.

1993-01-01

The basic regularities of radionuclide distribution between the obtained products have been studied using the fractionation of lupine and clover phytomass as an example. The content of radionuclides in protein concentrates has been shown to be strongly related to the crop species. A scheme and a regime of the fractionation of leaf-stem lupine biomass contaminated with cesium radioisotopes and strontium-90 which ensured the minimizing of their residual content in protein-vitaminic and protein concentrates have been selected with due accout of experimental data

The Growth Rate and Efficiency of Rumen Microbial Protein Digestion of Red Clover Silage (Trifolium pratense cv. Sabatron)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asih Kurniawati

2004-01-01

(Trifolium pratense cv. Sabatron). Red clover silage supplemented with different level of carbohydrates has been examined using the in-vitro gas production technique. Cumulative gas production, hydro.gen sulfite production, and ammonia was followed and used as indicators of microbial growth rate and extent of protein degradation. Microbial nitrogen production, VFA, and efficiency microbial production was used as indicator of nitrogen use efficiency. 15 N was used as a microbial marker to estimate the amount of nitrogen incorporation into microbial protein. Supplementation of Red clover with increasing 5 levels; 0 g; 0.625 g; 0.15 g; 0.225 g and 0.3 g of maize starch led to graded increase in microbial growth and protein degradation. This was reflected in the increasing gas production and the accumulation of hydrogen sulfite. Diurnal change in ammonia production reflected the microbial utilization of ammonia for protein synthesis. Protein microbe (P<0.001) as VFA (P<0.001) increased due to carbohydrate addition as well as utilization of nitrogen (P<0.001). There was also the efficiency of nitrogen utilization which increased significantly. This result suggested that energy supply can increased efficiency of nitrogen use in the rumen and may reduce nitrogen losses into the environment. (author)

Predation determines different selective pressure on pea aphid host races in a complex agricultural mosaic.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adalbert Balog

Full Text Available Field assessments were conducted to examine the interplay between host plant and predation in complex agricultural mosaic on pea aphid clover and alfalfa races. In one experiment, we examined the relative fitness on clover race (CR and alfalfa race (AR pea aphids on broad bean, red clover and alfalfa alone. But because clover is typically grown in a more complex agricultural mosaic with alfalfa and broad bean, a second experiment was conducted to assess the fitness consequences under predation in a more complex agricultural field setting that also included potential apparent competition with AR pea aphids. In a third experiment we tested for the effect of differential host race density on the fitness of the other host race mediated by a predator effect. CR pea aphids always had fitness losses when on broad bean (had lower fitness on broad bean relative to red clover and fitness benefits when on red clover (higher fitness on red clover relative to broad bean, whether or not in apparent competition with alfalfa race aphids on bean and alfalfa. AR suffered fitness loss on both alfalfa and bean in apparent competition with CR on clover. Therefore we can conclude that the predation rate between host races was highly asymmetrical. The complexity of the agricultural mosaic thus can influence prey selection by predators on different host plants. These may have evolutionary consequences through context dependent fitness benefits on particular host plants.

Forage mass and the nutritive value of pastures mixed with forage peanut and red clover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Lima de Azevedo Junior

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to estimate three pasture-based systems mixed with elephantgrass + spontaneous growth species, annual ryegrass, for pasture-based system 1; elephantgrass + spontaneous growth species + forage peanut, for pasture-based system 2; and elephantgrass + spontaneous growth species + annual ryegrass + red clover, for pasture-based system 3. Elephantgrass was planted in rows 4 m apart from each other. During the cool-season, annual ryegrass was sown in the alleys between the rows of elephantgrass; forage peanut and red clover were sown in the alleys between the elephantgrass according to the respective treatment. The experimental design was totally randomized in the three treatments (pasture-based systems, two replicates (paddocks in completely split-plot time (grazing cycles. Holstein cows receiving 5.5 kg-daily complementary concentrate feed were used in the evaluation. Pre-grazing forage mass, botanical composition and stocking rate were evaluated. Samples of simulated grazing were collected to analyze organic matter (OM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, crude protein (CP and organic matter in situ digestibility (OMISD. Nine grazing cycles were performed during the experimental period (341 days. The average dry matter values for pre-grazing and stocking rate were 3.34; 3.46; 3.79 t/ha, and 3.28; 3.34; 3.60 AU/ha for each respective pasture-based system. Similar results were observed between the pasture-based systems for OM, NDF, CP and OMISD. Considering forage mass, stocking rate and nutritive value, the pasture-based system intercropped with forage legumes presented better performance.

Subterranean Microhabitat Dependent Intra Versus Extracellular Enzyme Secretion Capabilities of Deinococcus radiodurans

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Jayant Biswas

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Deinococcus radiodurans is one of the most yet discovered extremophilic microbe, the isolation of which from the various habitats of Kotumsar cave is always a matter of enticement to discover its ecological economics. In the present work we studied the intra versus extracellular alkaline protease and glucose isomerase secretion capabilities of Deinococcus radiodurans; KCB21, KCB50, KCB93 isolated from three distinct subterranean niches of Kotumsar cave. The selected niches/zones were the entrance zone, transient zone and the deep inner zone from where the soil sediments were collected to isolate the bacterial strains. The results revealed high extracellular alkaline protease activity from the Deinococcus radiodurans strain which was isolated from the deeper zones of the cave, whereas no such phenomenon was revealed for glucose isomerase. The possible reason for the obtained results has been discussed.

Characterisation of a Compton suppressed Clover detector for high energy gamma rays (=<11MeV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha Sarkar, M.; Kshetri, Ritesh; Raut, Rajarshi; Mukherjee, A.; Sinha, Mandira; Ray, Maitreyi; Goswami, A.; Roy, Subinit; Basu, P.; Majumder, H.; Bhattacharya, S.; Dasmahapatra, B.

2006-01-01

Gamma ray spectra of two (p,γ) resonances have been utilised for the characterisation of the Clover detector at energies beyond 5MeV. Apart from the efficiency and the resolution of the detector, the shapes of the full energy peaks as well as the nature of the escape peaks which are also very crucial at higher energies have been analysed with special attention. Proper gain matching in software have checked deterioration in the energy resolution and distortion in the peak shape due to addback. The addback factors show sharp increasing trend even at energies around 11MeV

Characterisation of a Compton suppressed Clover detector for high energy gamma rays (=<11MeV)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha Sarkar, M. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India)]. E-mail: maitrayee.sahasarkar@saha.ac.in; Kshetri, Ritesh [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Raut, Rajarshi [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Mukherjee, A. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Sinha, Mandira [Gurudas College, Narkeldanga, Kolkata-700054 (India); Ray, Maitreyi [Behala College, Parnashree, Kolkata-700060 (India); Goswami, A. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Roy, Subinit [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Basu, P. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Majumder, H. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Bhattacharya, S. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Dasmahapatra, B. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India)

2006-01-01

Gamma ray spectra of two (p,{gamma}) resonances have been utilised for the characterisation of the Clover detector at energies beyond 5MeV. Apart from the efficiency and the resolution of the detector, the shapes of the full energy peaks as well as the nature of the escape peaks which are also very crucial at higher energies have been analysed with special attention. Proper gain matching in software have checked deterioration in the energy resolution and distortion in the peak shape due to addback. The addback factors show sharp increasing trend even at energies around 11MeV.

Biochanin A (an isoflavone produced by red clover) promotes weight gain of steers grazed in mixed grass pastures and fed dried-distillers grains

Science.gov (United States)

Biochanin A (BCA) is an isoflavone produced by red clover (Trifloium pratense L.) that can inhibit hyper-ammonia producing bacteria (HAB) to reduce deamination in the rumen and increase the feed amino acids available for gastric digestion. An in vitro experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect...

Investigations of subterranean microorganisms and their importance for performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal. Results and conclusions achieved during the period 1995 to 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pedersen, K [Goeteborg Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of General and Marine Microbiology

1997-11-01

In 1987, microbiology became a part of the Swedish scientific program for the safe disposal of high level nuclear waste (HLW). The goal of the microbiology sub-program is to understand how subterranean microorganisms will interact with the performance of a future HLW repository. The Swedish research program on subterranean microbiology has mainly been performed at two sites in granitic rock aquifers at depths ranging from 70 m down to 1240 m; the Stripa research mine in the middle of Sweden and the Aespoe hard rock laboratory (HRL) situated on the south eastern coast of Sweden. Some work has also been performed in co-operation with other national or international research groups in Sweden, Canada and at the natural analogue sites in Oklo in Gabon and Maqarin in Jordan. The most recent report in the SKB technical report series on microbiology and performance assessment, SKB-TR--95-10, gave the state of the art regarding microorganisms and their importance for performance assessment. That report is recommended as a source of knowledge about basic microbiology, microbial ecology of subterranean environments and the nuclear waste disposal concept in a microbiological perspective. The present report summarises results and conclusions achieved during the period 1995 to 1997 and is a continuation of SKB TR 95-10. The report is structured as summary which explains and analyses the obtained results and conclusions in a performance assessment perspective. The scientific basis for the summary is an enclosed series of eleven papers of which eight have gone through an international peer review process for publication in international scientific journals and reports and papers published earlier. 413 refs, 56 figs, 39 tabs.

Investigations of subterranean microorganisms and their importance for performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal. Results and conclusions achieved during the period 1995 to 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedersen, K.

1997-11-01

In 1987, microbiology became a part of the Swedish scientific program for the safe disposal of high level nuclear waste (HLW). The goal of the microbiology sub-program is to understand how subterranean microorganisms will interact with the performance of a future HLW repository. The Swedish research program on subterranean microbiology has mainly been performed at two sites in granitic rock aquifers at depths ranging from 70 m down to 1240 m; the Stripa research mine in the middle of Sweden and the Aespoe hard rock laboratory (HRL) situated on the south eastern coast of Sweden. Some work has also been performed in co-operation with other national or international research groups in Sweden, Canada and at the natural analogue sites in Oklo in Gabon and Maqarin in Jordan. The most recent report in the SKB technical report series on microbiology and performance assessment, SKB-TR--95-10, gave the state of the art regarding microorganisms and their importance for performance assessment. That report is recommended as a source of knowledge about basic microbiology, microbial ecology of subterranean environments and the nuclear waste disposal concept in a microbiological perspective. The present report summarises results and conclusions achieved during the period 1995 to 1997 and is a continuation of SKB TR 95-10. The report is structured as summary which explains and analyses the obtained results and conclusions in a performance assessment perspective. The scientific basis for the summary is an enclosed series of eleven papers of which eight have gone through an international peer review process for publication in international scientific journals and reports and papers published earlier

The effects of PPO activity on the proteome of ingested red clover and implications for improving the nutrition of grazing cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, E H; Onime, L A; Davies, T E; Morphew, R M; Kingston-Smith, A H

2016-06-01

Increasing the rumen-stable protein content of feed would lead to improved nitrogen utilisation in cattle, and less nitrogenous waste. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a high protein ruminant feed containing high polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. PPO mediated protein-quinone binding has been linked to protecting plant proteins from proteolysis. To explore the mechanism underlying the effect of PPO on protein protection in fresh forage feeds, proteomic components of feed down-boli produced from wild-type red clover and a low PPO mutant, at point of ingestion and after 4h in vitro incubation with rumen inoculum were analysed. Significant differences in proteomic profiles between wild-type and mutant red clover were determined after 4h incubation, with over 50% less spots in mutant than wild-type proteomes, indicating decreased proteolysis in the latter. Protein identifications revealed preferentially retained proteins localised within the chloroplast, suggesting that PPO mediated protection in the wild-type operates due to the proximity of target proteins to the enzyme and substrates, either diffusing into this compartment from the vacuole or are present in the chloroplast. This increased understanding of protein targets of PPO indicates that wider exploitation of the trait could contribute to increased protein use efficiency in grazing cattle. One of the main challenges for sustainable livestock farming is improving capture of dietary nitrogen by ruminants. Typically up to 70% of ingested protein-N is excreted representing a loss of productivity potential and a serious environmental problem in terms of nitrogenous pollution of lands and water. Identification of key characteristics of rumen-protected protein will deliver target traits for selection in forage breeding programmes. The chloroplastic enzyme PPO catalyzes the oxidation of phenols to quinones, which react with protein. Little is currently known about the intracellular protein targets of the products

Structure-activity of valencenoid derivatives and their repellence to the Formosan subterranean termite.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Betty C R; Henderson, Gregg; Sauer, Anne M; Yu, Ying; Crowe, William; Laine, Roger A

2003-12-01

Eight valencenoid derivatives were evaluated for their repelling activity against Formosan subterranean termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Among them, 1,10-dihydronootkatone was the strongest repellent, and valencene was the weakest. Results of the structure-repellency relationships indicated (1) reduction of the ketone group to the alcohol on position 2 of nootkatone curtailed the activity; (2) because of the low activity of valencene relative to nootkatone that the ketone group was essential for repellent activity; (3) reduction of the 1,10 double bond (1,10-dihydronootkatone and tetrahydronootkatone) produced compounds more repellent than nootkatone; (4) the isopropenyl group probably does not participate in binding as evidenced by no significant difference in the repellent activity among nootkatone (double bond between position 11 and 12), isonootkatone (double bond between position 7 and 11), and 11,12-dihydronootkatone.

Nitrous oxide emissions from clover in the Mediterranean environment

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Iride Volpi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introducing nitrogen N2-fixing crops into cereal-based crop rotations reduces N-fertiliser use and may mitigate soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O. However, the effect of the cultivation of N2-fixing crops on N2O emissions is still not well understood. N2O from N2-fixing crops can be emitted in two ways: during biological N2 fixation itself and when legume residues are returned to the soil. A field trial was carried out on clover (Trifolium squarrosum Savi to test the role of leguminous crops on N2O emissions in the Mediterranean environment. Monitoring was performed from December 2013 to September 2014. Cumulated N-N2O fluxes were calculated for the growing season (Phase 1 and the post-harvest period (Phase 2 in order to assess the importance of each phase. Our results did not show statistically significant differences between the two phases in term of contribution to the total cumulative N-N2O emissions, in fact Phase 1 and Phase 2 accounted respectively for 43 and 57% of the total.

Genetic variability of isoflavones in the USDA red clover core collection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graziele P. Ramos

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Red clover is one of the most utilized forage in agriculture and contains many of the isoflavones known for their human health benefits. The objectives of this study were: i to quantify, using HPLC analysis, isoflavones in 77 accessions from the USDA core collection and a Brazilian line; ii to verify possible relationships depending on their origin, improvement status or maturity type and; iii to verify the seasonal variation. The isoflavone mean contents were 29.27 µg g-1 of dry material for daidzein, 163.69 µg g-1 for genistein, 11353.29 µg g-1 for formononetin and 6568.8 µg g-1 for biochanin A. Clustering was mainly influenced by the total amount of isoflavones and partially due to maturity type, improvement status and geographic origin. The seasonal evaluation demonstrated an increase of concentration during winter, and decrease during spring. These results highlighted accessions that can be used to develop new varieties with low or high isoflavones concentration.

Response of irradiated Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) to water stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamideldin, N; Hussein, O.S

2009-01-01

Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is one of the main leguminous forage crops in Egypt. Gamma rays represent one of the important physical activators for growth and productivity. The seed were irradiated using three doses of gamma radiation (100,200 and 300 Gy) and two levels of irrigation (10 and 20 days) after germination. Gamma radiation treatments stimulated growth criteria in normal irrigation treatment, while drought irrigation treatment stunted these criteria. The most significant dose was 100 Gy, which stimulated growth criteria, chlorophylls a , b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids in both irrigation treatments used and growth hormones under drought condition. Drought stress and gamma irradiation increase amino acid content and caused change in band concentration of esterase and peroxidase isozyme .Also, 13 protein bands appeared only in treated plant with 100 Gy under drought condition. It could be concluded that the low dose (100 Gy) of gamma irradiation release the effect of drought stress.

Disconnected quark loop contributions to nucleon observables using Nf=2 twisted clover fermions at the physical value of the light quark mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Rehim, Abdou; Kallidonis, Christos; Koutsou, Giannis

2015-11-01

We compute the disconnected quark loops contributions entering the determination of nucleon observables, by using a N f =2 ensemble of twisted mass fermions with a clover term at a pion mass m π =133 MeV. We employ exact deflation and implement all calculations in GPUs, enabling us to achieve large statistics and a good signal.

EFFECTIVENESS OF A SUPERFICIAL TREATMENT USING BIFENTHRIN TO PROTECT RADIATA PINE FRAMING FROM DAMAGE BY SUBTERRANEAN AND DRYWOOD TERMITES IN INDONESIA

OpenAIRE

Paimin Sukartana; Jim W. Creffield; Agus Ismanto; Neo E. Lelana; Rusti Rushelia

2010-01-01

Various experimental testing procedures were undertaken in Indonesia to determine the effectiveness of a patented superficial (envelope) treatment using bifenthrin to protect radiata pine framing material from damage by two species of subterranean termites (Macrotermes gilvus and Coptotermes curvignathus) and one species of drywood termite (Cryptotermes cynocephalus). Lengths of framing material (Pinus radiata sapwood) were commercially treated to the targeted retention of 0.02% m/m of bifent...

Perturbative determination of c{sub sw} for plaquette and Symanzik gauge action and stout link clover fermions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horsley, R. [Edinburgh Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Physics; Perlt, H.; Schiller, A. [Leipzig Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Rakow, P.E.L. [Liverpool Univ. (United Kingdom). Theoretical Physics Division, Dept. of Mathematical Sicences; Schierholz, G. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2008-06-15

Using plaquette and Symanzik improved gauge action and stout link clover fermions we determine the improvement coefficient c{sub SW} in one-loop lattice perturbation theory from the off-shell quark-quark-gluon three-point function. In addition, we compute the coefficients needed for the most general form of quark field improvement and present the one-loop result for the critical hopping parameter {kappa}{sub c}. We discuss mean field improvement for c{sub SW} and {kappa}{sub c} and the choice of the mean field coupling for the actions we have considered. (orig.)

Design and fabrication of 4π Clover Detector Array Assembly for gamma-spectroscopy studies using thermal neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Manish; Kamble, S.R.; Chaudhari, A.T.; Sabharwal, T.P.; Pathak, Kavindra; Prasad, N.K.; Kinage, L.A.; Biswas, D.C.; Bhagwat, P.V.

2017-01-01

Nuclear spectroscopy has been studied earlier from the measurement of prompt gamma rays produced in reactions with thermal neutrons from CIRUS reactor. For studying the prompt γ-spectroscopy using thermal neutrons from Dhruva Reactor, BARC, the development of a dedicated beam line (R-3001) is in progress. In this beam line a detector assembly consisting of Clover Ge detectors will be used. This experimental setup will be utilized to investigate nuclear structure using prompt (n,γ) reactions and also to study the spectroscopy of neutron-rich fission-fragment nuclei

The combined effect of fertiliser nitrogen and phosphorus on herbage yield and change in soil nutrients of a grass/clover and grass-only sward

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schils, R.L.M.; Snijders, P.J.M.

2004-01-01

The combined effect of reduced nitrogen ( N ) and phosphorus ( P ) application on the production of grass- only and grass/ clover swards was studied in a five- year cutting experiment on a marine clay soil, established on newly sown swards. Furthermore, changes in soil N, P and carbon ( C ) were

Comparison of buckwheat, red clover, and purple tansy as potential surrogate plants for use in semi-field pesticide risk assessments with Bombus impatiens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela E. Gradish

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background. Bumble bees (Bombus spp. are important wild and managed pollinators. There is increased interest in incorporating data on bumble bees into risk assessments for pesticides, but standardized methods for assessing hazards of pesticides in semi-field and field settings have not yet been established for bumble bees. During semi-field studies, colonies are caged with pesticide-treated flowering surrogate plants, which must be attractive to foragers to ensure colony exposure to the test compound, and must produce an ample nectar and pollen to sustain colonies during testing. However, it is not known which plant(s are suitable for use in semi-field studies with bumble bees. Materials and Methods. We compared B. impatiens foraging activity and colony development on small plots of flowering buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum, var. common, red clover (Trifolium pratense, and purple tansy (Phacelia tanacetifolia under semi-field conditions to assess their suitability as surrogate plants for pesticide risk assessment studies with bumble bees. We also compared the growth characteristics and input requirements of each plant type. Results. All three plant types generally established and grew well. Red clover and purple tansy experienced significant weed pressure and/or insect pest damage. In contrast, pest pressure was extremely low in buckwheat. Overall, B. impatiens foraging activity was significantly greater on buckwheat plots than red clover or purple tansy, but plant type had no effect on number of individuals produced per colony or colony weight. Discussion. Because of the consistently high foraging activity and successful colony development observed on buckwheat plots, combined with its favourable growth characteristics and low maintenance requirements, we recommend buckwheat as a surrogate plant for use in semi-field pesticide toxicity assessments with B. impatiens.

Forage Quantity and Quality of Berseem Clover (Trifolium ‎alexandrinum L. as Affected by Uses of Pseudomonas putida ‎Strains and Phophorus Fertilizer in the Second Crop

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Hossein Ansari

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Effects of phosphate fertilizer and pseudomonas putida strains on the quantity and quality of forage of berseem clover as a second crop was studied in a factorial field experiment using randomized complete block design with three replications at Fooman, Guilan province, Iran. Treatments consisted of phosphate fertilizer with three levels (0, 75 and 150 kg/ha as triple super phosphate and Pseudomonas putida strains with four levels (M21, M5, M168 and control. The results showed that use of phosphate fertilizers increased the soil pH during growing season while bacterial inoculation adjusted soil pH. The bacterial inoculation increased amount of crude protein, digestible protein, acidic and alkaline phosphatase activity compared to non-inoculated treatment, but it decreased crude fiber of the forage. Clover forage yield, protein yield and phosphorus content of foliage also were influenced by the interaction of bacterial strains and phosphate fertilizer. The highest forage and protein yield were obtained by using strain M5+150 kg P ha-1. Significant increases in forage and protein yield were found to be 16.49% and 8.01%, respectively, as compared with non-inoculated treatment. Based on the result of this experiment, application of 150 kg P ha-1 and Pseudomonas putida strain M5 inoculation can be used to obtain highest forage yield and quality of berseem clover as second crop in the experimental site.

The effect of additives in silages of pure timothy and timothy mixed with red clover on chemical composition and in vitro rumen fermentation characteristics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hetta, M.; Cone, J.W.; Gustavsson, A.M.; Martinsson, K.

2003-01-01

The aim was to compare the effects of additives on direct cut silages of pure timothy and timothy mixed with tetraploid red clover. First and second growth cuts were ensiled during three consecutive years, 1994, 1995 and 1996, either without any additive or with the addition of formic acid, or

Radiosensitivity of subterranean bacteria in the Hungarian upper permian siltstone formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, G.; Gazso, L.G.; Diosi, G.

2002-01-01

The main purpose of this work was to study the radioresistance of subterranean aerobic and anaerobic isolates from the Hungarian Upper Permian Siltstone (Aleurolite) Formation, in order to assess the safety of potential sites of future underground repositories for nuclear waste. A total of 93 isolates were studied. The radiosensitivities of these aerobic and anaerobic bacteria isolates were determined: the D 10 values (decimal reducing doses) of the aerobic spore-formers lay in the range 0.80-2.44 kGy, and those of the anaerobic spore-formers lay in the range 1.86-4.93 kGy. The D 10 values of the aerobic and anaerobic vegetative isolates were much lower, in the ranges 0.11-0.57 and 0.22-0.40 kGy, respectively. The variability in bacterial radioresistance indicates the biodiversity at this potential disposal site. These results can affect the construction of a future underground repository, since knowledge of the most resistant microorganism may be of importance as concerns calculation of the time required to inactivate the bacteria surrounding the containers

O2 binding and CO2 sensitivity in haemoglobins of subterranean African mole rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, Roy E.; Jarvis, Jennifer U. M.; Fago, Angela

2017-01-01

that predictably safeguard pulmonary loading under hypoxic and hypercapnic burrow conditions. The O2 binding characteristics are discussed in relation to available information on the primary structure of Hbs from adult and developmental stages of mammals subjected to hypoxia and hypercapnia and the molecular......Inhabiting deep and sealed subterranean burrows, mole rats exhibit a remarkable suite of specializations, including eusociality (living in colonies with single breeding queens), extraordinary longevity, cancer immunity and poikilothermy, and extreme tolerance of hypoxia and hypercapnia. With little...... and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG, the major allosteric modulator of Hb-O2 affinity in red blood cells) in four social and two solitary species of African mole rats (family Bathyergidae) originating from different biomes and soil types across Central and Southern Africa. We found no consistent patterns...

Effect of Naphthalene, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Dioctyl Phthalate, and Adipic Dioctyl Ester, Chemicals Found in the Nests of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) on a Saprophytic Mucor sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Fungi are commonly found associated with termites and their nests. Four chemicals that have been isolated from the nests of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were evaluated to determine their effect on a common nest fungus, a saprophytic Mucor sp. Butylated hydroxyto...

Short-term effects of a dung pat on N₂ fixation and total N uptake in a perennial ryegrass/white clover mixture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, F.V.; Jensen, E.S.

1997-01-01

The short-term effects of a simulated cattle dung pat on N-2 fixation and total uptake of N in a perennial ryegrass/white clover mixture was studied in a container experiment using sheep faeces mixed with water to a DM content of 13%. We used a new N-15 cross-labelling technique to determine...

The occurrence of fungi on the stem base and roots of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. grown in monoculture depending on tillage systems and catch crops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr Kraska

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The present study was carried out in the period 2006-2008 based on an experiment established in 2005. The study evaluated the effect of conservation and plough tillage as well as of four catch crops on the level of infection by fungal pathogens of the stem base and roots of the spring wheat cultivar ‘Zebra’ grown in monoculture. The species composition of fungi colonizing the stem base and roots of spring wheat was determined. The split-plot design of the experiment set up on rendzina soil included plough tillage and conservation tillage with autumn and spring disking of catch crops. The experiment used four methods for regeneration of the spring wheat monoculture stand using the following: undersown red clover and Westerwolds ryegrass crops as well as lacy phacelia and white mustard stubble crops. Plots without catch crops were the control treatment. Red clover and Westerwolds ryegrass catch crops as well as lacy phacelia and white mustard stubble crops had a significant effect on the decrease in the stem base and root infection index of spring wheat compared to the control without catch crops. The disease indices in the tillage treatments under evaluation did not differ significantly from one another. The stem base and roots of spring wheat were most frequently infected by fungi of the genus Fusarium, with F. culmorum being the dominant pathogen of cereals. Compared to conservation tillage, in plough tillage the pathogenic fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana was not found to occur on the stem base and roots. The Westerwolds ryegrass catch crop promoted the occurrence of F. culmorum, both on the stem base and roots of spring wheat.

Protein concentrate production from the biomass contaminated with radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nizhko, V.F.; Shinkarenko, M.P.; Polozhaj, V.V.; Krivchik, O.V.

1992-01-01

Coefficients of radionuclides accumulation are determined for traditional and rare forage crops grown on contaminated soils. It is shown that with low concentration of radionuclides in soil minimal level of contamination were found in the biomass of lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) and sainfoin (Onobrychis hybridus L.). Relatively high levels of contamination were found in comfrey (Symphytum asperum Lepech.) and bistort (Polygonum divaricatum L.). Comparatively low accumulation coefficients in case of higher density of soil contamination were observed for white and yellow sweetclovers (Melilotus albus Medik. and M. officinalis (L.) Desr.), while higher values of coefficients were found for bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and alsike clover (t. hybridum L.). Biomass of white sweet-clover and alsike clover has been processed to produce leaf protein concentrate. It is shown that with biomass contamination of 1 kBq/kg and above conventional technology based on thermal precipitation of the protein does not provide production of pure product. More purified protein concentrates are obtained after two-stage processing of the biomass

Disconnected quark loop contributions to nucleon observables using N{sub f}=2 twisted clover fermions at the physical value of the light quark mass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdel-Rehim, Abdou; Kallidonis, Christos; Koutsou, Giannis [Cyprus Institute, Nicosia (Cyprus). Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center; Alexandrou, Constantia; Constantinou, Martha; Hadjiyiannakou, Kyriakos [Cyprus Institute, Nicosia (Cyprus). Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center; Cyprus Univ. (Cyprus). Dept. of Physics; Jansen, Karl [DESY Zeuthen (Germany). NIC; Aviles-Casco, Alejandro Vaquero [INFN Sezione di Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy)

2015-11-15

We compute the disconnected quark loops contributions entering the determination of nucleon observables, by using a N{sub f}=2 ensemble of twisted mass fermions with a clover term at a pion mass m{sub π}=133 MeV. We employ exact deflation and implement all calculations in GPUs, enabling us to achieve large statistics and a good signal.

Hydrographs Showing Groundwater Level Changes for Selected Wells in the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed and Vicinity, Pierce County, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Justin, G.B.; Julich, R.; Payne, K.L.

2009-01-01

Selected groundwater level hydrographs for the Chambers-Clover Creek watershed (CCCW) and vicinity, Washington, are presented in an interactive web-based map to illustrate changes in groundwater levels in and near the CCCW on a monthly and seasonal basis. Hydrographs are linked to points corresponding to the well location on an interactive map of the study area. Groundwater level data and well information from Federal, State, and local agencies were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (NWIS), Groundwater Site Inventory (GWSI) System.

Combining protein extraction and anaerobic digestion to produce feed, fuel and fertilizer from green biomass – An organic biorefinery concept

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandez, Maria Santamaria; Salces, Beatriz Molinuevo; Lübeck, Mette

Organically grown green biomass (red clover, clover grass) was investigated as a resource for organic feed and organic fertilizer by combination of proteins extraction and anaerobic digestion of the residues. Extraction of proteins from both crops revealed very favourable amino acid composition...... for the use as animal feed. The residual 90% of organic matter, leaving the separation as solid press cake and brown juice was subjected to anaerobic digestion to produce biogas and fertilizer. Methane yields of 220-310 and 430-540 ml CH4/g VS were obtained for press cake and brown juice, respectively...

Experimental infrared measurements for hydrocarbon pollutant determination in subterranean waters

Science.gov (United States)

Lay-Ekuakille, A.; Palamara, I.; Caratelli, D.; Morabito, F. C.

2013-01-01

Subterranean waters are often polluted by industrial and anthropic effluents that are drained in subsoil. To prevent and control pollution, legislations of different developed countries require an online monitoring measurement, especially for detecting organic solvents (chlorinated and unchlorinated ones). Online measurements include both real-time and no real-time measurements. In general, it is difficult to implement real-time measurements in stricto sensu for online acquisitions on aqueous effluents since they need to be processed by a modeling. This research presents an experimental measurement system based on infrared (IR) spectroscopy for aqueous effluents containing hydrocarbons and capable of displaying excellent values of pollutant concentrations even in instable conditions; the system is able to detect pollutants either in laminar or turbulent flow. The results show the possibility of avoiding the use of "Pitot tube" that is employed to create a stagnation point in order to convert kinetic energy into potential one. This conversion allows the transformation of a turbulent flow in a laminar flow making easy measurement of pollutants included in an aqueous effluent. Obviously, "Pitot tube" is also used for other fluid effluents. The obtained results have been compared with those produced by means of sophisticated IR instrumentation for laboratory applications.

Uranium export from a sandy beach subterranean estuary in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Christian J.; Santos, Isaac R.; Sadat-Noori, Mahmood; Maher, Damien T.; Holloway, Ceylena; Schnetger, Bernhard; Brumsack, Hans-J.

2017-11-01

Few studies exist on the contribution of subterranean estuaries (STEs) to the oceanic uranium (U) budget. Here, we estimate the dissolved U fluxes out of a quartz sand STE located on the east coast of Australia. Our results indicate that the advective flow of seawater in permeable sands enhances cycling of U in the STE. Dissolved U concentrations ranged from 25 nM in the STE to an effective zero salinity end-member of 3.8 nM in the surface estuary. The dissolved U (salinity corrected) concentrations were positively correlated to Fe (r2 = 0.49 p based on shallow saline groundwater exchange pathways and 0.4 μmol U m-2 day-1 based on deep fresh submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Uranium's behavior in STEs is diverse and site specific. Out of the seven investigations available here and in the literature, three suggested a SGD-derived U source to the coastal ocean, while four suggested a U sink within STEs removing seawater U. Therefore, it remains unclear whether SGD is a source or sink of U to the ocean and additional investigations in contrasting settings are required to resolve the global contribution of SGD to the marine U cycle.

Attraction of subterranean termites (Isoptera) to carbon dioxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernklau, Elisa Jo; Fromm, Erich A; Judd, Timothy M; Bjostad, Louis B

2005-04-01

Subterranean termites, Reticulitermes spp., were attracted to carbon dioxide (CO2) in laboratory and field tests. In behavioral bioassays, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), Reticulitermes tibialis Banks, and Reticulitermes virginicus Banks were attracted to CO2 concentrations between 5 and 50 mmol/mol. In further bioassays, R. tibialis and R. virginicus were attracted to the headspace from polyisocyanurate construction foam that contained 10-12 mmol/mol CO2. In soil bioassays in the laboratory, more termites foraged in chambers containing CO2-generating formulations than in unbaited control chambers. In field tests, stations containing CO2-generating baits attracted R. tibialis away from wooden fence posts at rangeland sites in Colorado. For all of the CO2 formulations tested, termites foraged in significantly more bait stations at treatment fenceposts than in bait stations at the control fenceposts. By the end of the 8-wk study, the number of bait stations located by termites at treatment fenceposts ranged from 40 to 90%. At control fenceposts, termites foraged in only a single station and the one positive station was not located by termites until week 5 of the study. At treatment fenceposts, termites foraged equally in active stations (containing a CO2-generating bait) and passive stations (with no CO2-generating bait), indicating that bait stations may benefit passively from a proximal CO2 source in the soil. CO2 used as an attractant in current baiting systems could improve their effectiveness by allowing earlier exposure of termites to an insecticide.

Evaluation for dinitrogen fixation of alfalfa in field based on δ15N value

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Yunyin; Chen Ming; Zhang Xizhong

1992-12-01

The dinitrogen fixation rate of alfalfa was estimated grown in pot and field experiments. β values (isotope fraction factor) of 7 cultivars of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) grown in N-free liquid culture medium were examined. Variations in the δ 15 N values of varieties of alfalfa at growing seasons and forage grasses grown under various conditions were measured. %Ndfa of alfalfa was estimated using the natural 15 N abundance method, 15 N isotope dilution method and total N difference, and their accuracy was compared

Intra- and inter-population polymorphism in Coletinia maggii (Grassi, 1887) (Zygentoma: Nicoletiidae), an inhabitant of soil, mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) and caves--A challenge for the strict classification of subterranean fauna?

Science.gov (United States)

Gilgado, José D; Ortuño, Vicente M

2015-02-19

New locations of Coletinia maggii (Grassi, 1887) have been discovered in the center of the Iberian Peninsula in different types of subterranean environments, such as a stony layer in the subsoil of an alluvial plain, an alluvial Mesovoid Shallow Substratum or Milieu Souterrain Superficiel (MSS) and a gypsum cave. This is the first record of both an alluvial MSS in the center of the Iberian Peninsula and of a subterranean species living in it. The high number of specimens captured allowed the first detailed study of the morphological intra- and inter-population variations of this species. The implications of its presence in these different environments, its wide distribution area across Europe, and the relevance of the morphological variation in the characters for the taxonomy of this species are discussed. Based on the results, Coletinia hernandoi Molero, Bach & Gaju, 2013 is proposed as a new synonym of C. maggii.

Effects of Seeding Density and Nitrogen Fertilizer on the Productivity of Egyptian Clover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jwan G. Rafaat

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The study was carried out to show the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg urea/ha, and two seeding rates 15 and 30 kg/ha. The study was conducted at Bakrajo research field during the winter season 2011-2012 to some growth characteristics of Egyptian clover, such as plant height, dry leaf weight percent, dry stem weight percent, leave stem ratio, fresh yield t/ha, dry yield t/ha and dry matter percent. The experiment was designed as (R.C.B.D. The results can be summarized as follow; significant differences were observed between all three cuts, and the third cut was superior in almost characters especially in the forage yield. The application of 40 and 60 kg urea gave maximum yield. Using 15 kg seeds/ha showed superior value due to fresh yield in compare to 30 kg for all cutting, while the dry yield responded non-significantly to seeding rates.

An insight into subterranean flow proposition around Alleppey mudbank coastal sector, Kerala, India: Inferences from the subsurface profiles of ground penetrating radar

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Loveson, V.J.; Dubey, R.; DineshKumar, P.K.; Nigam, R.; Naqvi, S.W.A.

-1 Author Version: Environ. Earth Sci., vol.75(20); 2016; no.1361 doi:10.1007/s12665-016-6172-6 An insight into subterranean flow proposition around Alleppey mudbank coastal sector, Kerala, India: inferences from the subsurface profiles of Ground... and productivity, physical and chemical aspects of the sea, annual drift etc. (Bristow et al., 1938; Varma and Kurup 1969; Gopinath and Qasim 1974; Jacob and Qasim (1974), Ramachandran and Mallik, 1985).Similar occurrences of mud banks in few other countries...

Essential oil composition of Valeriana officinalis ssp collina cultivated in Bulgaria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, R; Hendriks, H; Pras, N; St Stojanova, A; Georgiev, EV

2000-01-01

The essential oils obtained from air-dried subterranean parts of Valeriana officinalis ssp. collina (Wallr.) Nyman (Valerianaceae), 'Shipka,' was analyzed by GC and GC/MS, and 62 components were identified. The oil yield, collected in plants grown in 1995 and 1938, was 0.42% (v/m) and 0.40% (v/m)

Nutritional ecology of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): growth and survival of incipient colonies feeding on preferred wood species.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Ramos, Juan A; Rojas, M Guadalupe

2003-02-01

The wood of 11 plant species was evaluated as a food source significantly impacting the growth and survival of incipient colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Colonies of C. formosanus feeding on pecan, Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.), and red gum, Liquidambar styraciflua L., produced significantly more progeny than colonies feeding on other wood species tested. Progeny of colonies feeding on pecan and American ash, Fraxinus americana L., had significantly greater survival than progeny of colonies feeding on other wood species. Colonies feeding on a nutritionally supplemented cellulose based matrix showed similar fitness characteristics as colonies feeding on the best wood treatments. These results indicate that differences observed in colony fitness can be partially explained by nutritional value of the food treatment, raising the possibility that wood from different tree species have different nutritional values to the Formosan subterranean termites. Colonies feeding on loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., and ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Laws., had significantly lower survival and produced significantly fewer workers and soldiers than colonies feeding on other wood species. Colony survival from 90 to 180 d of age and from 90 to 360 d of age was significantly correlated with the number of workers present at 90 d of colony age, indicating that colony survival depends on the presence of workers. Wood consumption in a multiple-choice study was significantly correlated with colony fitness value. This suggests that feeding preference of C. formosanus is at least partially influenced by the nutritional value of the food source.

Seedling Performance Associated with Live or Herbicide Treated Tall Fescue

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Jonathan J. Halvorson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Tall fescue is an important forage grass which can host systemic fungal endophytes. The association of host grass and endophyte is known to influence herbivore behavior and host plant competition for resources. Establishing legumes into existing tall fescue sods is a desirable means to acquire nitrogen and enhance the nutritive value of forage for livestock production. Competition from existing tall fescue typically must be controlled to ensure interseeding success. We used a soil-on-agar method to determine if soil from intact, living (L, or an herbicide killed (K tall fescue sward influenced germination and seedling growth of three cultivars of tall fescue (E+, MaxQ, and E− or legumes (alfalfa, red clover, and white clover. After 30 days, seedlings were larger and present in greater numbers when grown in L soil rather than K soil. Root growth of legumes (especially white clover and tall fescue (especially MaxQ were not as vigorous in K soil as L soil. While shoot biomass was similar for all cultivars of tall fescue in L soil, MaxQ produced less herbage when grown in K soil. Our data suggest establishing legumes or fescue cultivars may not be improved by first killing the existing fescue sod and seedling performance can exhibit significant interseasonal variation, related only to soil conditions.

Dynamics of Foraging and Recruitment Behavior in the Asian Subterranean Termite Coptotermes gestroi (Rhinotermitidae

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Alberto Arab

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The present study investigated the trail-following behavior of the subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann Rhinotermitidae under laboratory conditions. The results showed that workers were the first to initiate the exploration to the food source. When food was discovered they returned to the nest laying a trail for recruiting nestmates to the food source. In this situation, workers always traveled significantly faster when returning from the arenas. Both workers and soldiers were recruited to the food source; however, the soldier/worker proportion was higher during the first phase of the recruitment. When no food was available, the number of recruited nestmates and the speed on their way back to the nest were significantly lower. The results also showed that scout foragers always laid trail pheromones when entering into unknown territories, and that chemical signals found in the food could induce workers of C. gestroi to increase their travel speed.

Define Colony Number of Subterranean Termites Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Selected Infested Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul Hafiz Abdul Majid; Abu Hassan Ahmad

2015-01-01

Termites are one of the social insects living in large colonies that can cause economic loss. The objective of this study was to estimate foraging territory of infested subterranean termites on building structure. A mark-recapture study was conducted on eight Coptotermes gestroi colonies located at selected infested building structures in Penang, Malaysia. From the foraging study, the population of C. gestroi was estimated to be within the range of 106,592±6,968 to 4,185,000±2,127,328. Additionally, the foraging territory was from 13 to 300 m 2 of the infested building structures. Meanwhile the maximum foraging distance was from 4 to 30 m of the infested structures. The results indicated that each of the building structures was infested by a single colony. This study also showed that the triple mark recapture technique used to estimate the population size of the termite colony was capable of providing rough estimates of foraging population of C. gestroi. (author)

Structural requirements for repellency: norsesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoid derivatives of nootkatone against the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Betty C R; Henderson, Gregg; Sauer, Anne M; Crowe, William; Laine, Roger A

2010-08-01

Research has shown that the family of grapefruit flavors called nootkatones have significant repellant and toxic effects to Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki). Nineteen synthetic nootkatone derivatives, along with three commercially available nootkatone derivatives, were tested for repellent activity against C. formosanus by a choice assay in a petri dish with a two-step triage procedure. Based on the repellency threshold value, the relationships between structure and activity are discussed. Four derivatives of nootkatone have very high repellency and toxicity to C. formosanus, 9 times the potency of the primary compound nootkatone. Four other compounds have between 2 and 3 times the repellency of nootkatones, and three compounds are equal in their repellency to nootkatone. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Changes in soil solution Zn and pH and uptake of Zn by arbuscular mycorrhizal red clover in Zn-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X; Christie, P

2001-01-01

Red clover plants inoculated with Glomus mosseae were grown in a sterile pasture soil containing 50 mg Zn kg(-1) in 'Plexiglas' (acrylic) containers with nylon net partitions (30 microm mesh) designed to separate the soil into a central root zone and two outer zones for hyphal growth with no root penetration. Two porous plastic soil moisture samplers were installed in each pot, one in the root compartment and the other in one of the hyphal compartments. The soil in the outer compartments was amended with one of the four application rates of Zn (as ZnSO4) ranging from 0 to 1000 mg kg(-1). Non-mycorrhizal controls were included, and there were five replicates of each treatment in a randomised block in a glasshouse. Uninoculated plants received supplementary P to avoid yield limitation due to low soil P status. Plants grew in the central compartment for nine weeks. Soil moisture samples were collected 4, 24 and 62 days after sowing to monitor changes in the Zn concentration and pH of the soil solution. At harvest, the mean mycorrhizal infection rate of inoculated plants ranged from 29% to 34% of total root length and was little affected by Zn application. Root and shoot yields were not affected by mycorrhizal infection. Plant Zn concentration and uptake were lower in mycorrhizal plants than non-mycorrhizal controls, and this effect was more pronounced with increasing Zn application rate to the soil. Soil solution Zn concentrations were lower and pH values were higher in mycorrhizal treatments than non-mycorrhizal controls and the mycorrhiza effect was more pronounced at higher Zn application rates. The protective effect of mycorrhiza against plant Zn uptake may have been associated with changes in Zn solubility mediated by changes in the soil solution pH, or by immobilisation of Zn in the extraradical mycelium.

Investigations of subterranean microorganisms. Their importance for performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedersen, K.

1995-06-01

This report presents a broad and thorough description of how microorganisms may influence safety of repositories for radioactive waste. First, an overview of the Swedish concepts for disposal is given, including a discussion of the geological, chemical and hydrological conditions in repositories. Then the limiting and stimulating factors for life of microorganisms are reviewed, such as relations to oxygen, temperature, pH, radiation, pressure, water and nutrients availability. Bacteria in the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, iron, manganese and hydrogen are also discussed. A literature review of subterranean bacteria is given in chapter 4. Chapter 5 treats investigations of microorganisms in repository-like environments, and microbial corrosion and redox processes relevant for materials in the repository and for the mobility of radionuclides. Possibilities to predict the activity and presence of microorganisms through mathematical models are discussed in chapter 6. Chapter 7 summarizes the conclusion drawn in the report, how microorganisms may influence performance safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal, and also identifies research needs. 293 refs, 43 figs, 36 tabs

Investigations of subterranean microorganisms. Their importance for performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pedersen, K [Goeteborg Univ. (Sweden). General and Marine Microbiology; Karlsson, Fred [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden)

1995-06-01

This report presents a broad and thorough description of how microorganisms may influence safety of repositories for radioactive waste. First, an overview of the Swedish concepts for disposal is given, including a discussion of the geological, chemical and hydrological conditions in repositories. Then the limiting and stimulating factors for life of microorganisms are reviewed, such as relations to oxygen, temperature, pH, radiation, pressure, water and nutrients availability. Bacteria in the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, iron, manganese and hydrogen are also discussed. A literature review of subterranean bacteria is given in chapter 4. Chapter 5 treats investigations of microorganisms in repository-like environments, and microbial corrosion and redox processes relevant for materials in the repository and for the mobility of radionuclides. Possibilities to predict the activity and presence of microorganisms through mathematical models are discussed in chapter 6. Chapter 7 summarizes the conclusion drawn in the report, how microorganisms may influence performance safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal, and also identifies research needs. 293 refs, 43 figs, 36 tabs.

Exploring the Caste-Specific Multi-Layer Defense Mechanism of Formosan Subterranean Termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abid Hussain

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The survival and foraging of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki in a microbe-rich environment reflect the adaptation of an extraordinary, sophisticated defense mechanism by the nest-mates. We aimed to explore the host pathogen interaction by studying caste-specific volatile chemistry and genes encoding the antioxidant defense of winged imagoes, nymphs, soldiers and workers of Formosan subterranean termites. Qualitative analyses of C. formosanus Shiraki performed by HS-SPME/GC-MS showed considerable variations in the chemical composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs and their proportions among all the castes. Winged imagoes produced the most important compounds such as naphthalene and n-hexanoic acid. The antifungal activity of these compounds along with nonanal, n-pentadecane, n-tetradecane, n-heptadecane and methyl octanoate against the conidial suspensions of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana isolates enable us to suggest that the failure of natural fungal infection in the nest is due to the antiseptic environment of the nest, which is mainly controlled by the VOCs of nest-mates. In addition, conidial germination of M. anisopliae and B. bassiana isolates evaluated on the cuticle of each caste showed significant variations among isolates and different castes. Our results showed that the conidia of M. anisopliae 02049 exhibited the highest germination on the cuticle of all the inoculated castes. Moreover, we recorded the lowest germination of the conidia of B. bassiana 200436. Caste-specific germination variations enabled us to report for the first time that the cuticle of winged imagoes was found to be the most resistant cuticle. The analysis of the transcriptome of C. formosanus Shiraki revealed the identification of 17 genes directly involved in antioxidant defense. Expression patterns of the identified antioxidant genes by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR revealed the significantly highest upregulation of CAT, GST, PRXSL, Cu

Response of biomass and nitrogen yield of white clover to radiation and atmospheric CO2 concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manderscheid, R.; Bender, J.; Schenk, U.; Weigel, H.J.

1997-01-01

The objectives of the present study were to test (i) whether the effect of season-long CO 2 enrichment on plant dry matter production of white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Karina) depends on the temperature or can solely be explained by changes in radiation use efficiency, and (ii) whether the atmospheric CO 2 concentration affects the relationship between tissue %N and plant biomass. Plants were grown in pots with adequate nutrient and water supply and were exposed to ambient and above ambient CO 2 concentrations (approximately +80 ppm, +160 ppm, +280 ppm) in open-top chambers for two seasons. Nitrogen fertilizer was given only before the experiment started to promote N 2 fixation. Plants were clipped to a height of 5 cm, when the canopy had reached a height of about 20 cm and when the CO 2 effect had not been diminished due to self-shading of the leaves. Photon exposure (400–700 nm) measured above the canopy was linearly related to the above ground biomass, the leaf area index and the nitrogen yield (r 2 > 0.94). The slopes of the curves depended on the CO 2 concentration. Since most of the radiation (>90%) was absorbed by the foliage, the slopes were used to calculate the CO 2 effect on the radiation use efficiency of biomass production, which is shown to increase curvilinearly between 380 and 660 ppm CO 2 from 2.7 g MJ −1 to 3.9 g MJ −1 . CO 2 enrichment increased above ground biomass by increasing the leaf number, the individual leaf weight and the leaf area; specific leaf weight was not affected. The relative CO 2 response varied between harvests; there was a slight but not significant positive relationship with mean daytime temperature. At the beginning of the season, plant nitrogen concentration in the above ground biomass was decreased by CO 2 enrichment. However, at later growth stages, when the plants depended solely on N 2 fixation, nitrogen concentration was found to be increased when the nitrogen concentration value was adjusted for the decrease

Solid state characterization and rheological properties of native and modified Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean starches

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Michael Odeniyi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study was designed to determine the suitability of native, pregelatinized and carboxymethylated Vigna subterranean (Bambara nut starches for pharmaceutical applications, through their characterization by means of physicochemical, rheological, thermal, morphological and instrumental spectroscopic methods. The native starch was extracted from Bambara nut, after which it was used to prepare both pregelatinized and carboxymethylated forms. Microscopy revealed increased in granular size on modification. Both pregelatinized and carboxymethylated Bambara starches had better flow properties and swellability compared to the native starch. Native Bambara starch had greater tendency to retrogradation, was more sensitive to heat and heat change, these were alleviated by both pregelatinization and carboxymethylation. DSC confirmed that carboxymethylated Bambara starch was the most thermally stable starch. Presence of functional groups and crystallinity were established by FTIR and XRD, respectively. Native and modified Bambara starches can be used as locally and readily available alternative excipients in pharmaceutical formulations.

Immunogold Labelling to Localize Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO) During Wilting of Red Clover Leaf Tissue and the Effect of Removing Cellular Matrices on PPO Protection of Glycerol-Based Lipid in the Rumen

Science.gov (United States)

The enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) reduces the extent of proteolysis and lipolysis within red clover fed to ruminants. PPO catalyses the conversion of phenols to quinones which can react with nucleophilic cellular constituents (e.g. proteins), forming protein-phenol complexes that may reduce protei...

Proportional crosstalk correction for the segmented clover at iThemba LABS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucher, T D; Noncolela, S P; Lawrie, E A; Dinoko, T R S; Easton, J L; Erasmus, N; Lawrie, J J; Mthembu, S H; Mtshali, W X; Shirinda, O; Orce, J N

2017-01-01

Reaching new depths in nuclear structure investigations requires new experimental equipment and new techniques of data analysis. The modern γ -ray spectrometers, like AGATA and GRETINA are now built of new-generation segmented germanium detectors. These most advanced detectors are able to reconstruct the trajectory of a γ -ray inside the detector. These are powerful detectors, but they need careful characterization, since their output signals are more complex. For instance for each γ -ray interaction that occurs in a segment of such a detector additional output signals (called proportional crosstalk), falsely appearing as an independent (often negative) energy depositions, are registered on the non-interacting segments. A failure to implement crosstalk correction results in incorrectly measured energies on the segments for two- and higher-fold events. It affects all experiments which rely on the recorded segment energies. Furthermore incorrectly recorded energies on the segments cause a failure to reconstruct the γ -ray trajectories using Compton scattering analysis. The proportional crosstalk for the iThemba LABS segmented clover was measured and a crosstalk correction was successfully implemented. The measured crosstalk-corrected energies show good agreement with the true γ -ray energies independent on the number of hit segments and an improved energy resolution for the segment sum energy was obtained. (paper)

Ameliorating Effects of Biochar Derived from Poultry Manure and White Clover Residues on Soil Nutrient Status and Plant growth Promotion--Greenhouse Experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, M Kaleem; Anwar, Ahsan Ali

2015-01-01

Biochar application to agricultural soils is rapidly emerging as a new management strategy for its potential role in carbon sequestration, soil quality improvements, and plant growth promotion. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of biochars derived from white clover residues and poultry manure on soil quality characteristics, growth and N accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in a loam soil under greenhouse conditions. Treatments comprised of: untreated control; mineral N fertilizer (urea N, UN) at the rate of 200, and 100 mg N kg(-1), white clover residues biochar (WCRB), poultry manure biochar (PMB) at 30 Mg ha(-1), and the possible combinations of WCRB+PMB (50:50), UN+WCRB (50:50), UN+PMB (50:50), and UN+WCRB+PMB (50:25:25). The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results indicated a significant increase in the growth and biomass production of maize and wheat supplemented with biochars alone or mixed with N fertilizer. Biochars treatments showed varying impact on plant growth depended upon the type of the biochar, and in general plant growth under PMB was significantly higher than that recorded under WCRB. The growth characteristics in the combined treatments (half biochar+half N) were either higher or equivalent to that recorded under full fertilizer N treatment (N200). The biochar treatments WCRB, PMB, and WCRB+PMB (50:50) increased maize shoot N by 18, 26 and 21%, respectively compared to the control while wheat shoot N did not show positive response. The N-uptake by maize treated with WCRB, PMB, and WCRB+PMB (50:50) was 54, 116, and 90 mg g(-1) compared to the 33 mg g(-1) in the control while the N-uptake by wheat was 41, 60, and 53 mg g(-1) compared to 24 mg g(-1) in the control. The mixed treatments (half biochar+half N) increased N-uptake by 2.3 folds in maize and 1.7 to 2.5 folds in wheat compared to the N100 showing increasing effect of biochar on N

Rooting depth and root depth distribution of Trifolium repens × T. uniflorum interspecific hybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, S N; Hofmann, R W; Williams, W M; van Koten, C

2016-05-20

Traits related to root depth distribution were examined in Trifolium repens × T. uniflorum backcross 1 (BC 1 ) hybrids to determine whether root characteristics of white clover could be improved by interspecific hybridization. Two white clover cultivars, two T. uniflorum accessions and two BC 1 populations were grown in 1 -m deep tubes of sand culture. Maximum rooting depth and root mass distribution were measured at four harvests over time, and root distribution data were fitted with a regression model to provide measures of root system shape. Morphological traits were measured at two depths at harvest 3. Root system shape of the hybrids was more similar to T. uniflorum than to white clover. The hybrids and T. uniflorum had a higher rate of decrease in root mass with depth than white clover, which would result in higher proportions of root mass in the upper profile. Percentage total root mass at 100-200 mm depth was higher for T. uniflorum than white clover, and for Crusader BC 1 than 'Crusader'. Roots of the hybrids and T. uniflorum also penetrated deeper than those of white clover. T. uniflorum had thicker roots at 50-100 mm deep than the other entries, and more of its fine root mass at 400-500 mm. The hybrids and white clover had more of their fine root mass higher in the profile. Consequently, T. uniflorum had a higher root length density at 400-500 mm than most entries, and a smaller decrease in root length density with depth. These results demonstrate that rooting characteristics of white clover can be altered by hybridization with T. uniflorum, potentially improving water and nutrient acquisition and drought resistance. Root traits of T. uniflorum are likely to be adaptations to soil moisture and fertility in its natural environment. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Reaction of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L. in grass-clover mixture on N fertilization and grazing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Andreata-Koren

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Grazing is the most common way of using a hill and mountain areas because of their specific agro-ecological conditions. Cocksfoot is a grass with high productivity and quality, and it is very good for sowing in the sward for grazing. Because of its good adaptability to different growing conditions, especially in very dry and cold areas, it is excellent in relation to some other good grasses, which can not be raised in such areas. The aim of the experiment was to determine effect of N application (0-N0 and 150 kg ha-1 year-1-N150 and rotational grazing by cattle (C and sheep (S, and their interaction on the cocksfoot sown in a mixture of smooth-stalked meadow grass (Poa pratensis L. and white clover (Trifolium repens L. in hill mountain areas. In a three-year average, the application of 150 kg ha-1 N had significant impact on cocksfoot population density (number of tillers m-2, and it was 51.4 % higher than the recorded one before grazing (P<0.05 and 42.2 % higher after grazing (P<0.01 in comparison to N0. The application of 150 kg ha-1 N resulted in significantly higher cocksfoot dry matter (DM yield for 38.6 % (P<0.01 and 15.3 % higher cocksfoot share in the total mixture in relation to N0 (P<0.01. Grazing management and grazing management interaction with N rate did not significantly affect the population density of individual years. However, in the three-year average, grazing management significantly affected cocksfoot DM (P<0.01 and its percentage in the total DM mixture (P<0.01. Cattle grazing resulted in 9.9 % higher cocksfoot DM yield and 15.2 % higher cocksfoot percentage in pasture. Interaction of grazing management and N-level had significant influence on the percentage of cocksfoot DM in grass-clover mixture. On cattle grazed areas fertilized with 150 kg ha-1 N, the percentage of cocksfoot DM was the highest (74. 07%, while the lowest percentage of cocksfoot DM was recorded on the sheep grazed areas without N (55.12%.

Identification, Geographical Distribution and Hosts of Subterranean Termites in the United Arab Emirates Arid Ecosystem

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W. Kaakeh

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Six termite species, belonging to five genera and three families (Hodotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae were identified in the United Arab Emirates (UAE. Termite species recorded were the harvester termites Anacanthotermes ochraceus (Burmeister and Anacanthotermes ubachi (Navas, the sand termite Psammotermes hypostoma (Desneux and the small waxy termites Microcerotermes diversus (Silvestri, Heterotermes aethiopicus (Sjostedt, and Microtermes najdensis (Harris. Except for a previous record of H. aethiopicus, the other five species were recorded for the first time in the UAE. All species were subterranean in habitat and reach wood sources through earthen gallery systems. Termites were available in areas with varied conditions of climate, vegetation and soil types. Termites showed host preference for dead, living, or decaying plant materials and non-cellulose materials. The dominant termite species recorded was A. ochraceus, followed by P. hypostoma and M. diversus. The distributions of the six termite species varied in each of the seven Emirates. All species were present in the two largest Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Field and laboratory studies provide insights into the meaning of day-time activity in a subterranean rodent (Ctenomys aff. knighti, the tuco-tuco.

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Barbara M Tomotani

Full Text Available South American subterranean rodents (Ctenomys aff. knighti, commonly known as tuco-tucos, display nocturnal, wheel-running behavior under light-dark (LD conditions, and free-running periods >24 h in constant darkness (DD. However, several reports in the field suggested that a substantial amount of activity occurs during daylight hours, leading us to question whether circadian entrainment in the laboratory accurately reflects behavior in natural conditions. We compared circadian patterns of locomotor activity in DD of animals previously entrained to full laboratory LD cycles (LD12:12 with those of animals that were trapped directly from the field. In both cases, activity onsets in DD immediately reflected the previous dark onset or sundown. Furthermore, freerunning periods upon release into DD were close to 24 h indicating aftereffects of prior entrainment, similarly in both conditions. No difference was detected in the phase of activity measured with and without access to a running wheel. However, when individuals were observed continuously during daylight hours in a semi-natural enclosure, they emerged above-ground on a daily basis. These day-time activities consisted of foraging and burrow maintenance, suggesting that the designation of this species as nocturnal might be inaccurate in the field. Our study of a solitary subterranean species suggests that the circadian clock is entrained similarly under field and laboratory conditions and that day-time activity expressed only in the field is required for foraging and may not be time-dictated by the circadian pacemaker.

Combined effect of Azadirachta indica and the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema glaseri against subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes

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Kadarkarai Murugan

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Laboratory study has been conducted on the bioactivities of entomopathogenic nematodes and neem seed kernel extract (NSKE against worker termites of Reticulitermes flavipes. Neem at various concentrations did not affect the survivability of nematodes, whereas neem had considerable impact on the survivability of worker termites and this may be due to the presence of active neem compounds (Azadirachtin, salanin etc.. Mortality was 40% on 4th day at lower concentration of 1.0% NSKE treatment; whereas mortality has been increased to 70% at higher concentration (4.0% on 4th day. There was 100% mortality after the combined treatment with 4.0% NSKE + 600 infective juvenile Steinernema glaseri, even at the first day of the experiment. In the present experiment, neem extract does not affected the survival of the nematodes. Hence, nematode and neem extract can be used for soil-insect control particularly for the subterranean termites.

Exogenous Application of GABA Improves PEG-Induced Drought Tolerance Positively Associated with GABA-Shunt, Polyamines, and Proline Metabolism in White Clover.

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Yong, Bin; Xie, Huan; Li, Zhou; Li, Ya-Ping; Zhang, Yan; Nie, Gang; Zhang, Xin-Quan; Ma, Xiao; Huang, Lin-Kai; Yan, Yan-Hong; Peng, Yan

2017-01-01

In order to investigate the physiological effects of exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on drought tolerance in white clover (Trifolium repens), GABA shunt, polyamines (PAs), and proline (Pro) metabolism were examined after plants pretreated with or without GABA (8 mM) and then exposed to water or 15% PEG-induced drought stress in growth chamber. In this study, exogenous application of GABA effectively alleviated drought-induced damage in leaves, as reflected by significantly higher relative water content, lower electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, and leaf wilt. Exogenous GABA further promoted drought-induced increases in GABA transaminase and alpha ketone glutarate dehydrogenase activities, but inhibited glutamate decarboxylase activity under both control and drought conditions, resulting in an increase in endogenous glutamate (Glu) and GABA content. Besides, exogenous GABA could well accelerated PAs synthesis and suppressed PAs catabolism, which lead to the extremely enhanced different types of PAs content (free Put and Spd, insoluble bound Spd and Spm, soluble conjugated Spd and Spm, and total Put, Spd and Spm) under drought stress. In addition, exogenous GABA application further activated drought-induced Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase and proline dehydrogenase activities, but suppressed drought-facilitated ornithine -δ-amino transferase activities, leading to a higher Pro accumulation and metabolism in GABA-pretreated plants in the middle and last period of drought. The results suggested that increased endogenous GABA by exogenous GABA treatment could improve drought tolerance of white clover associated with a positive regulation in the GABA-shunt, PAs and Pro metabolism.

Red clover-derived isoflavones and mammographic breast density: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial [ISRCTN42940165

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, Charlotte; Warren, Ruth ML; Sala, Evis; Dowsett, Mitch; Dunning, Alison M; Healey, Catherine S; Runswick, Shirley; Day, Nicholas E; Bingham, Sheila A

2004-01-01

Isoflavones are hypothesized to protect against breast cancer, but it is not clear whether they act as oestrogens or anti-oestrogens in breast tissue. Our aim was to determine the effects of taking a red clover-derived isoflavone supplement daily for 1 year on mammographic breast density. Effects on oestradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), lymphocyte tyrosine kinase activity and menopausal symptoms were also assessed. A total of 205 women (age range 49–65 years) with Wolfe P2 or DY mammographic breast patterns were randomly assigned to receive either a red clover-derived isoflavone tablet (26 mg biochanin A, 16 mg formononetin, 1 mg genistein and 0.5 mg daidzein) or placebo. Change in mammographic breast density, serum oestradiol, FSH, LH, menopausal symptoms and lymphocyte tyrosine kinase activity from baseline to 12 months were assessed. A total of 177 women completed the trial. Mammographic breast density decreased in both groups but the difference between the treatment and placebo was not statistically significant. There was a significant interaction between treatment group and oestrogen receptor (ESR1) PvuII polymorphism for the change in estimated percentage breast density (mean ± standard deviation): TT isoflavone 1.4 ± 12.3% and TT placebo -9.6 ± 14.2%; CT isoflavone -5.2 ± 12.0% and CT placebo -2.8 ± 10.3%; and CC isoflavone -3.4 ± 9.7% and CC placebo -1.1 ± 9.5%. There were no statistically significant treatment effects on oestradiol, FSH, or LH (assessed only in postmenopausal women), or on lymphocyte tyrosine kinase activity. Baseline levels of menopausal symptoms were low, and there were no statistically significant treatment effects on frequency of hot flushes or other menopausal symptoms. In contrast to studies showing that conventional hormone replacement therapies increase mammographic breast density, the isoflavone supplement did not increase mammographic breast density in this population of women

Elemental analysis and nutritional value of edible Trifolium (clover) species.

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Gounden, Thaveshan; Moodley, Roshila; Jonnalagadda, Sreekantha B

2018-04-30

Trifolium species, commonly known as clover species, have a cosmopolitan distribution and, as such, are used in many different traditional systems of medicine and consumed by many communities all over the world. In this study, the elemental distribution and nutritional value of five edible Trifolium species, namely, Trifolium africanum, Trifolium burchellianum, Trifolium repens, Trifolium dubium and Trifolium pratense were investigated to evaluate the potential of these plant species to alleviate malnutrition, thereby contributing toward the fight against food insecurity. Trifolium species were found to be a rich alternate source of essential nutrients with concentrations of elements being in decreasing order of Ca > Mg > Fe > Mn > Zn > Se > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Co > Cd > As and with adequate levels of lipids (4.2 to 8.6%), proteins (35.1 to 45.4%) and carbohydrates (26.7 to 47.0%). Trifolium species were found to be rich in Se (contributing greater than 516% toward its RDA) with T. dubium having a concentration of 0.53 mg 10 g -1 , dry mass, which is higher than Brazil nuts. T. pratense was found to be the most suitable species for human consumption due to it having low levels of toxic metals (As, Cd and Pb) while being rich in macro- and micro-elements, especially Fe (7.84 mg 10 g -1 , dry mass) and Se (0.36 mg 10 g -1 , dry mass).

Comparison of breeding methods for forage yield in red clover

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Libor Jalůvka

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Three methods of red clover (Trifolium pratense L. breeding for forage yield in two harvest years on locations in Bredelokke (Denmark, Hladké Životice (Czech Republic and Les Alleuds (France were compared. Three types of 46 candivars1, developed by A recurrent selection in subsequent generations (37 candivars, divided into early and late group, B polycross progenies (4 candivars and C ge­no-phe­no­ty­pic selection (5 candivars were compared. The trials were sown in 2005 and cut three times in 2006 and 2007; their evaluation is based primarily on total yield of dry matter. The candivars developed by polycross and geno-phenotypic selections gave significantly higher yields than candivars from the recurrent selection. However, the candivars developed by the methods B and C did not differ significantly. The candivars developed by these progressive methods were suitable for higher yielding and drier environment in Hladké Životice (where was the highest yield level even if averaged annual precipitation were lower by 73 and 113 mm in comparison to other locations, respectively; here was ave­ra­ge yield higher by 19 and 13% for B and C in comparison to A method. Highly significant interaction of the candivars with locations was found. It can be concluded that varieties specifically aimed to different locations by the methods B and C should be bred; also the parental entries should be selected there.

Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii rosR is required for interaction with clover, biofilm formation and adaptation to the environment

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Piersiak Tomasz

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii is a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium that elicits nodules on roots of host plants Trifolium spp. Bacterial surface polysaccharides are crucial for establishment of a successful symbiosis with legumes that form indeterminate-type nodules, such as Trifolium, Pisum, Vicia, and Medicago spp. and aid the bacterium in withstanding osmotic and other environmental stresses. Recently, the R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii RosR regulatory protein which controls exopolysaccharide production has been identified and characterized. Results In this work, we extend our earlier studies to the characterization of rosR mutants which exhibit pleiotropic phenotypes. The mutants produce three times less exopolysaccharide than the wild type, and the low-molecular-weight fraction in that polymer is greatly reduced. Mutation in rosR also results in quantitative alterations in the polysaccharide constituent of lipopolysaccharide. The rosR mutants are more sensitive to surface-active detergents, antibiotics of the beta-lactam group and some osmolytes, indicating changes in the bacterial membranes. In addition, the rosR mutants exhibit significant decrease in motility and form a biofilm on plastic surfaces, which differs significantly in depth, architecture, and bacterial viability from that of the wild type. The most striking effect of rosR mutation is the considerably decreased attachment and colonization of root hairs, indicating that the mutation affects the first stage of the invasion process. Infection threads initiate at a drastically reduced rate and frequently abort before they reach the base of root hairs. Although these mutants form nodules on clover, they are unable to fix nitrogen and are outcompeted by the wild type in mixed inoculations, demonstrating that functional rosR is important for competitive nodulation. Conclusions This report demonstrates the significant role RosR regulatory protein plays in

Does introduction of clover in an agricultural grassland affect the food base and functional diversity of Collembola?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Annibale, Alessandra; Sechi, Valentina; Larsen, Thomas

2017-01-01

plots with either perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), whiteclover (Trifolium repens L.) or a mixture of both in a Danish agricultural grassland 6 and 14 months after establishing the leys (September and May, respectively). Diet preferences were investigated via stable isotope analyses (SIA...... in the white clover than ryegrass plots. Changes in taxa specific density and traits distribution as a response to the C:N ratio of plant material, suggest that plant material quality was the main factor affecting the collembolan community,especially when comparing the two sampling occasions. Functional...... richness decreased under conditions of low quality material. In contrast to our hypothesis, population densities did not increase under mixture treatment and functional richness decreased. Our results suggest that habitat changes, via different plant composition, can affect some functional groups, having...

Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae of Easter lily in the northwestern United States.

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Ames, R N; Linderman, R G

1977-12-01

The vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi of commercially grown Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.) were studied. Soil and root samples were collected monthly from March through September 1975 from five fields in the coastal area of southern Oregon and northern California. Soil seivings were inoculated onto clover, onion, and lily to cause infections resulting in the production of many new mycorrhizal spores facilitating identification. Four VA mycorrhizal species were found: Acaulospora trappei, A. elegans, Glomus monosporus, and G. fasciculatus. All four VA species infected Easter lily, clover, and onion. Acaulospora trappei and G. fasciculatus were the most commonly isolated species from all five fields. Mycorrhizal infections in roots of field-grown lilies were sparse and presumably young in March and gradually increased in size and number until September when bulbs were harvested. Over 75% of each root system became infected with mycorrhizae in fields with all four fungal species, and those levels were reached by July. In fields with only two mycorrhizal species, usually 50% or less of each root system was infected, even by the end of the growing season.

Berseem (egyptian clover): a nutritive multicut fodder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imran, M.; Hussain, A.; Gurmani, Z.A.; Khan, S.

2007-01-01

Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is an important winter (Rabi) leguminous crop, grown for green fodder. It was first introduced into Sindh in 1904 and then cultivated in peshawar in 1924. The berseem is a multicut fodder, which could play a pivotal role in establishing a more productive dairy industry in the country. The improved varieties of berseem produce three-fold green fodder, i.e. 100-120 tonnes per hectare, and could feed double the number of animals per unit area, as against the traditional fodder-crop. (author)

A study of the red clover extract trinovin by ESR HPLC/MS and UVS

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Troup, G.; Hutton, D.; Hunter, C.; Hewitt, D.; Mulinacci, N.; Romani, A.; Pinelli, P.; Mancini, P.

1999-01-01

Full text: Trinovin is an extract of red clover, recently released on the dietary supplement market. It is recommended for 'Men's Health', because it contains the phenolics (isoflavones) genistein, biochanin, daidzein and formononetin, said to act as 'phytoestrogens', and is therefore a possible help in prostate gland problems. An Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) study (∼9.1Ghz, room temperature) revealed at least 3 different free radical lines, one with hyperfine structure, consistent with the listed molecules. Accordingly, HPLC/DAD (High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Diode Array Detector) and HPLC/Mass Spectroscopy analyses were performed in order to evaluate the quali-quantitative contents of flavonoidic compounds. The HPLC profile shows two main isoflavones and another three compounds, one of them being a quercetin glycoside. The quercetin glycosides are flavonoidic derivatives abundant in plant materials and present in wine. We can therefore say: even if the phytoestrogen properties claimed for Trinovin turn out to be less than hoped for, the antioxidants contained are very powerful, and so possibly helpful in protection against many diseases, including cancers, atherosclerosis, diabetic retinal bleeding, and non-alcoholic dementia

Meat goat kids finished on alfalfa, red clover or orchardgrass pastures: carcass merit and meat quality.

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Turner, K E; Cassida, K A; Zerby, H N

2014-12-01

This experiment was conducted in 2005-2007 to evaluate carcass and chevon (goat meat) quality parameters when meat-goat kids (n=72) were finished on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L; ALF); red clover (Trifolium pratense L.; RCG); or orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.; OGR) pastures. Carcass conformation score was greater (P=0.08) when meat-goat kids were finished on ALF compared to OGR with RCG intermediate. Chevon meat samples from goats finished on the three pasture treatments did not differ in ash, intramuscular fat, or crude protein content or in concentrations of omega6 and omega3 fatty acids, or the omega6 to omega3 ratio. Goats finished on OGR had higher (Pmeat-goat kids finished on ALF, RCG, or ORG produced desirable carcass weights for most niche markets in the USA. Chevon is a low-fat meat option with high desirable fatty acids for human diets. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Mayaweckelia troglomorpha, a new subterranean amphipod species from Yucatán state, México (Amphipoda, Hadziidae).

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Angyal, Dorottya; Solís, Efraín Chávez; Magaña, Benjamín; Balázs, Gergely; Simoes, Nuno

2018-01-01

A detailed description of a new stygobiont species of the amphipod family Hadziidae, Mayaweckelia troglomorpha Angyal, sp. n. is given, based on material collected in four cenotes of Yucatán federal state, México. Morphology was studied under light microscopy and with scanning electron microscopy. Morphological description is complemented with mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences as barcodes, with affinities to the related taxa and with notes on the species' ecology. Using COI Bayesian inference and genetic distance analyses, we show that the closest relative of the new species is M. cenoticola , forming a monophyletic group referring to the genus Mayaweckelia . Based on the available sequences, we also revealed that Mayaweckelia and Tuluweckelia are sister genera, standing close to the third Yucatán subterranean genus, Bahadzia . The data gathered on the habitat, distribution, abundance, and ecology will contribute to the conservation planning for M. troglomorpha Angyal, sp. n.

Polish Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis L. Honey, Chromatographic Fingerprints, and Chemical Markers

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Izabela Jasicka-Misiak

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A case study of Polish Melilotus officinalis honey was presented for the first time. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS (after steam distillation, Soxhlet extraction, ultrasonic solvent extraction, and solid phase extraction (SPE and targeted high performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-PAD were applied to determine the characteristic components of honey. While ubiquitous in most honeys, carbohydrates, terpene derivatives, and phenylacetic acid dominated in the Soxhlet extracts (25.54% and in the application of SPE (13.04%. In addition, lumichrome (1.85% was found, and may be considered as a marker of this honey. Due to the presence of these compounds, Polish yellow sweet clover honey is similar to French lavender honeys. The major compounds determined in the methanolic extract were (+-catechine (39.7% and gallic acid (up to 30%, which can be regarded as specific chemical markers of the botanical origin of melilot honey. With respect to total phenolic and flavonoid contents, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH assays were determined spectrophotometrically. The honey exhibited a moderate antioxidant activity, typical for light honeys, which correlates well with its phenolic and flavonoid composition.

High spatial variation in population size and symbiotic performance of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii with white clover in New Zealand pasture soils

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Tillard, Guyléne; van Ham, Robert; Ballard, Ross; Farquharson, Elizabeth; Gerard, Emily; Geurts, Rene; Brown, Matthew; Ridgway, Hayley; O’Callaghan, Maureen

2018-01-01

Biological nitrogen fixation through the legume-rhizobia symbiosis is important for sustainable pastoral production. In New Zealand, the most widespread and valuable symbiosis occurs between white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii (Rlt). As variation in the population size (determined by most probable number assays; MPN) and effectiveness of N-fixation (symbiotic potential; SP) of Rlt in soils may affect white clover performance, the extent in variation in these properties was examined at three different spatial scales: (1) From 26 sites across New Zealand, (2) at farm-wide scale, and (3) within single fields. Overall, Rlt populations ranged from 95 to >1 x 108 per g soil, with variation similar at the three spatial scales assessed. For almost all samples, there was no relationship between rhizobia population size and ability of the population to fix N during legume symbiosis (SP). When compared with the commercial inoculant strain, the SP of soils ranged between 14 to 143% efficacy. The N-fixing ability of rhizobia populations varied more between samples collected from within a single hill country field (0.8 ha) than between 26 samples collected from diverse locations across New Zealand. Correlations between SP and calcium and aluminium content were found in all sites, except within a dairy farm field. Given the general lack of association between SP and MPN, and high spatial variability of SP at single field scale, provision of advice for treating legume seed with rhizobia based on field-average MPN counts needs to be carefully considered. PMID:29489845

Manganese toxicity in pasture legumes. II. Effects of pH and molybdenum levels in the substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truong, N V; Andrew, C S; Wilson, G L

1971-06-01

The effects of pH and Mo levels in the growing media on Mn toxicity were investigated for white clover and five tropical pasture legume species. In solution culture, high Mo supply did not influence Mn toxicity. However, in two species, it caused Mo toxicity. High solution pH intensified Mn toxicity in white clover, probably by way of uptake. The effects of Ca and P on Mn toxicity reported in a previous paper, were not greatly influenced by solution pH. In the soil, Mo application greatly increased dry matter yield of white clover grown on soils high in exchangeable Mn. This effect was more easily attributed to an influence on N metabolism of the legume plant than on Mn toxicity. Measured soil pH was found to have little influence on the level of exchangeable Mn in the soil. However the larger pH changes in small soil pockets, resulting from non-uniform incorporation of chemicals in the soil, might have a more important effect on this fraction of soil Mn. 31 references, 7 tables.

The naked mole-rat exhibits an unusual cardiac myofilament protein profile providing new insights into heart function of this naturally subterranean rodent.

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Grimes, Kelly M; Barefield, David Y; Kumar, Mohit; McNamara, James W; Weintraub, Susan T; de Tombe, Pieter P; Sadayappan, Sakthivel; Buffenstein, Rochelle

2017-12-01

The long-lived, hypoxic-tolerant naked mole-rat well-maintains cardiac function over its three-decade-long lifespan and exhibits many cardiac features atypical of similar-sized laboratory rodents. For example, they exhibit low heart rates and resting cardiac contractility, yet have a large cardiac reserve. These traits are considered ecophysiological adaptations to their dank subterranean atmosphere of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels and may also contribute to negligible declines in cardiac function during aging. We asked if naked mole-rats had a different myofilament protein signature to that of similar-sized mice that commonly show both high heart rates and high basal cardiac contractility. Adult mouse ventricles predominantly expressed α-myosin heavy chain (97.9 ± 0.4%). In contrast, and more in keeping with humans, β myosin heavy chain was the dominant isoform (79.0 ± 2.0%) in naked mole-rat ventricles. Naked mole-rat ventricles diverged from those of both humans and mice, as they expressed both cardiac and slow skeletal isoforms of troponin I. This myofilament protein profile is more commonly observed in mice in utero and during cardiomyopathies. There were no species differences in phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein-C or troponin I. Phosphorylation of both ventricular myosin light chain 2 and cardiac troponin T in naked mole-rats was approximately half that observed in mice. Myofilament function was also compared between the two species using permeabilized cardiomyocytes. Together, these data suggest a cardiac myofilament protein signature that may contribute to the naked mole-rat's suite of adaptations to its natural subterranean habitat.

Nocturnal to Diurnal Switches with Spontaneous Suppression of Wheel-Running Behavior in a Subterranean Rodent.

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Patricia Tachinardi

Full Text Available Several rodent species that are diurnal in the field become nocturnal in the lab. It has been suggested that the use of running-wheels in the lab might contribute to this timing switch. This proposition is based on studies that indicate feed-back of vigorous wheel-running on the period and phase of circadian clocks that time daily activity rhythms. Tuco-tucos (Ctenomys aff. knighti are subterranean rodents that are diurnal in the field but are robustly nocturnal in laboratory, with or without access to running wheels. We assessed their energy metabolism by continuously and simultaneously monitoring rates of oxygen consumption, body temperature, general motor and wheel running activity for several days in the presence and absence of wheels. Surprisingly, some individuals spontaneously suppressed running-wheel activity and switched to diurnality in the respirometry chamber, whereas the remaining animals continued to be nocturnal even after wheel removal. This is the first report of timing switches that occur with spontaneous wheel-running suppression and which are not replicated by removal of the wheel.

Nocturnal to Diurnal Switches with Spontaneous Suppression of Wheel-Running Behavior in a Subterranean Rodent

Science.gov (United States)

Tachinardi, Patricia; Tøien, Øivind; Valentinuzzi, Veronica S.; Buck, C. Loren; Oda, Gisele A.

2015-01-01

Several rodent species that are diurnal in the field become nocturnal in the lab. It has been suggested that the use of running-wheels in the lab might contribute to this timing switch. This proposition is based on studies that indicate feed-back of vigorous wheel-running on the period and phase of circadian clocks that time daily activity rhythms. Tuco-tucos (Ctenomys aff. knighti) are subterranean rodents that are diurnal in the field but are robustly nocturnal in laboratory, with or without access to running wheels. We assessed their energy metabolism by continuously and simultaneously monitoring rates of oxygen consumption, body temperature, general motor and wheel running activity for several days in the presence and absence of wheels. Surprisingly, some individuals spontaneously suppressed running-wheel activity and switched to diurnality in the respirometry chamber, whereas the remaining animals continued to be nocturnal even after wheel removal. This is the first report of timing switches that occur with spontaneous wheel-running suppression and which are not replicated by removal of the wheel. PMID:26460828

Ecology and sampling techniques of an understudied subterranean habitat: the Milieu Souterrain Superficiel (MSS).

Science.gov (United States)

Mammola, Stefano; Giachino, Pier Mauro; Piano, Elena; Jones, Alexandra; Barberis, Marcel; Badino, Giovanni; Isaia, Marco

2016-12-01

The term Milieu Souterrain Superficiel (MSS) has been used since the early 1980s in subterranean biology to categorize an array of different hypogean habitats. In general terms, a MSS habitat represents the underground network of empty air-filled voids and cracks developing within multiple layers of rock fragments. Its origins can be diverse and is generally covered by topsoil. The MSS habitat is often connected both with the deep hypogean domain-caves and deep rock cracks-and the superficial soil horizon. A MSS is usually characterized by peculiar microclimatic conditions, and it can harbor specialized hypogean, endogean, and surface-dwelling species. In light of the many interpretations given by different authors, we reviewed 235 papers regarding the MSS in order to provide a state-of-the-art description of these habitats and facilitate their study. We have briefly described the different types of MSS mentioned in the scientific literature (alluvial, bedrock, colluvial, volcanic, and other types) and synthesized the advances in the study of the physical and ecological factors affecting this habitat-i.e., microclimate, energy flows, animal communities, and trophic interactions. We finally described and reviewed the available sampling methods used to investigate MSS fauna.

Melanised endophytic fungi may increase stores of organic carbon in soil

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McGee, Peter; Mukasa Mugerwa, Tendo

2013-04-01

The processes underlying the carbon cycle in soil, especially sequestration of organic carbon (OC), are poorly understood. Hydrolysis and oxidation reduce organic matter. Hydrolysis degrades linear organic molecules in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, though it is slower in anaerobic conditions. Aromatic compounds are only degraded by oxidation. Oxygen is by far the most common electron acceptor in soil. Anaerobic conditions preclude oxidation in soil and will result in the preservation of aromatic compounds so long as the conditions remain anaerobic. We experimentally tested this model using melanised endophytic fungi. Melanin is a polyaromatic compound that can be readily visualised, though is difficult to quantify. An endophytic association provides the fungus with an ongoing source of energy. Fungal hyphae elongate considerable distances in soil where they may colonise aggregates, the core of which may be anaerobic. The hypothesis we tested is that melanised endophytic fungi increase OC in soil. Seedlings of subterranean clover inoculated with single isolates were grown in split pots where the impact of the fungus could be quantified in the hyphal chamber, separated from the roots by a steel mesh. We found that melanised endophytic fungi significantly increased OC and aromatic carbon in a well-aggregated carbon-rich soil. OC increased by up to 17% within 14 weeks. Twenty out of 24 isolates statistically significantly increased and none decreased OC. Increases differed between fungal isolates. Increases in the hyphal chamber were independent of any change in OC associated with the roots of the host plant. The storage of OC in field soils is being explored. Inoculation of plant roots with melanised endophytic fungi offers one means whereby OC may be increased in field soils.

Evaluation of physical structure value in spring-harvested grass/clover silage and hay fed to heifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schulze, A.K.S.; Nørgaard, P.; Byskov, M.V.

2015-01-01

The physical structure value of conserved grass/clover forages of spring harvest was evaluated by assessing effects of harvest time, conservation method, iNDF/NDF ratio and NDF intake (NDFI) per kg BW on chewing activity and fecal particle size in dairy heifers. A mixed sward consisting of ryegrass...... of 315, 436, 414 and 503 g/kg DM, respectively. Forages were fed as sole feed to four Jersey heifers of 435±30 kg BW in a 4×4 Latin square experiment. Feeding level was 90% of individual ad libitum intake, divided equally across two daily meals offered at 0800 and 1530 h. Chewing activity was estimated...... from recorded jaw movements (JM) oscillations continuously logged for 96 h and summarized per 24 h as mean effective rumination time and eating time. Eating behavior was further observed during four 20-min test meals. Weight proportion of large feces particles (>1.0 mm) and geometric mean fecal...

Effects of grazing strategy on limiting nitrate leaching in grazed grass-clover pastures on coarse sandy soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Elly Møller; Eriksen, Jørgen; Søegaard, Karen

2012-01-01

-term mean. The experiment was initiated in a 4-yr-old grass-clover sward in south Denmark. Three treatments were as follows grazing only (G), spring cut followed by grazing (CG) and both spring and autumn cuts with summer grazing (CGC). Nitrate leaching was calculated by extracting water isolates from 80 cm......Urinations of ruminants on grazed pastures increase the risk of nitrate leaching. The study investigated the effect of reducing the length of the grazing season on nitrate leaching from a coarse sandy, irrigated soil during 2006–2007 and 2007–2008. In both years, precipitation was above the long...... depth using ceramic suction cups. Because of considerable variation in measured nitrate concentrations, the 32 installed suction cups per treatment were insufficient to reveal differences between treatments. However, weighted nitrate leaching estimations for G, CG and CGC showed estimated mean nitrate N...

Muscle antioxidant (vitamin E) and major fatty acid groups, lipid oxidation and retail colour of meat from lambs fed a roughage based diet with flaxseed or algae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponnampalam, Eric N; Burnett, Viv F; Norng, Sorn; Hopkins, David L; Plozza, Tim; Jacobs, Joe L

2016-01-01

The effect of feeding flaxseed or algae supplements to lambs on muscle antioxidant potential (vitamin E), major fatty acid groups, lipid oxidation and retail colour was investigated. Lambs (n=120) were randomly allocated to one of 4 dietary treatments according to liveweight and fed the following diets for eight weeks: Annual ryegrass hay [60%]+subterranean clover hay [40%] pellets=Basal diet; Basal diet with flaxseed (10.7%)=Flax; Basal diet with algae (1.8%)=Algae; Basal diet with flaxseed (10.7%) and algae (1.8%)=FlaxAlgae. Flaxseed or algae supplementation significantly affected major fatty acid groups in muscle. The addition of algae (average of Algae and FlaxAlgae) resulted in lower vitamin E concentration in muscle (Palgae (average of Basal and Flax). Increasing muscle EPA+DHA by algae supplementation significantly increased lipid oxidation, but retail display colour of fresh meat was not affected. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subterranean karst environments as a global sink for atmospheric methane

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Webster, Kevin D.; Drobniak, Agnieszka; Etiope, Giuseppe; Mastalerz, Maria; Sauer, Peter E.; Schimmelmann, Arndt

2018-03-01

The air in subterranean karst cavities is often depleted in methane (CH4) relative to the atmosphere. Karst is considered a potential sink for the atmospheric greenhouse gas CH4 because its subsurface drainage networks and solution-enlarged fractures facilitate atmospheric exchange. Karst landscapes cover about 14% of earth's continental surface, but observations of CH4 concentrations in cave air are limited to localized studies in Gibraltar, Spain, Indiana (USA), Vietnam, Australia, and by incomplete isotopic data. To test if karst is acting as a global CH4 sink, we measured the CH4 concentrations, δ13CCH4, and δ2HCH4 values of cave air from 33 caves in the USA and three caves in New Zealand. We also measured CO2 concentrations, δ13CCO2, and radon (Rn) concentrations to support CH4 data interpretation by assessing cave air residence times and mixing processes. Among these caves, 35 exhibited subatmospheric CH4 concentrations in at least one location compared to their local atmospheric backgrounds. CH4 concentrations, δ13CCH4, and δ2HCH4 values suggest that microbial methanotrophy within caves is the primary CH4 consumption mechanism. Only 5 locations from 3 caves showed elevated CH4 concentrations compared to the atmospheric background and could be ascribed to local CH4 sources from sewage and outgassing swamp water. Several associated δ13CCH4 and δ2HCH4 values point to carbonate reduction and acetate fermentation as biochemical pathways of limited methanogenesis in karst environments and suggest that these pathways occur in the environment over large spatial scales. Our data show that karst environments function as a global CH4 sink.

Subterranean systems provide a suitable overwintering habitat for Salamandra salamandra

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Monika Balogová

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra has been repeatedly noted to occur in natural and artificial subterranean systems. Despite the obvious connection of this species with underground shelters, their level of dependence and importance to the species is still not fully understood. In this study, we carried out long-term monitoring based on the capture-mark-recapture method in two wintering populations aggregated in extensive underground habitats. Using the POPAN model we found the population size in a natural shelter to be more than twice that of an artificial underground shelter. Survival and recapture probabilities calculated using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model were very constant over time, with higher survival values in males than in females and juveniles, though in terms of recapture probability, the opposite situation was recorded. In addition, survival probability obtained from Cormack-Jolly-Seber model was higher than survival from POPAN model. The observed bigger population size and the lower recapture rate in the natural cave was probably a reflection of habitat complexity. Our study showed that regular visits are needed to detect the true significance of underground shelters for fire salamanders. The presence of larvae was recorded in both wintering sites, especially in bodies of water near the entrance. On the basis of previous and our observations we incline to the view, that karst areas can induce not only laying in underground shelters but also group wintering in this species. Our study highlights the strong connection of the life cycle of fire salamanders with underground shelters and their essential importance for the persistence of some populations during unfavourable conditions and breeding activity. In addition, the study introduces the POPAN and Cormac-Jolly-Seber models for estimating of population size, survival and recapture probability in wintering populations of the species, which could provide important information

Skin cancer full-grown from scar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zikiryakhodjaev, D.Z.; Sanginov, D.R.

2001-01-01

In this chapter authors investigate the peculiarities of skin cancer full-grown from scar, the theory of it's descent, quote some statistical data on skin cancer full-grown from scar and variety clinical forms of skin cancer full-grown from scar was shown, quote some methods of treatment

Production and chemical composition of grasses and legumes cultivated in pure form, mixed or in consortium

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Antonio Augusto Cortiana Tambara

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to assess the edible biomass and chemical composition of forages grown on pure form, as a grass mix, and in grass-legume consortia. The following species were tested: white oats (Avena sativa, black oats (Avena strigosa, ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum, forage peanut (Arachis pintoi, white clover (Trifolium repens, and red clover (Trifolium pratense. The experiment consisted of sixteen treatments arranged in a completely randomized design. The parameters measured were total dry matter (PMST, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF, and crude protein (CP. No significant differences in PMST were found among the consortia (p > 0.05. Only the pure cultivated white clover (p > 0.05 was comparable to the consortia in terms of biomass production. The three legumes had the lowest average NDF values (p > 0.05, based on their contributions to the total NDF content of the consortia along the cuts. The ADF content increased for all treatments during the cuts. The results indicate that in pasture, legumes increase protein content, and forage consortia increase both the pasture production and the grazing period. Their chemical composition is adequate for boosting livestock production in pastures.

Effect of forage supplements on the incidence of bloat in dairy cows grazing high clover pastures.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, C J; James, N L; Murray-Evans, J P

1996-08-17

The effect of offering forage supplements of different compositions was examined in two experiments with cows grazing high clover swards. In the first experiment strawmix supplements of high or low energy content (11 and 9 MJ metabolisable energy/kg dry matter [DM]) and high or low crude protein content (17 and 4 g/kg DM) were offered for periods of three weeks. The energy and protein contents were varied by the content of molasses and soyabean meal, respectively. The high energy, high protein supplement increased the incidence of bloat, and the low energy, high protein supplement reduced it, compared with grazing alone. Bloat was most evident in the first two weeks of each feeding period, suggesting that the cows partially adapted to the diets within three weeks. In the second experiment silage supplements reduced the incidence of bloat among cows grazing both tall and short swards. The most suitable forages to feed when there is a risk of bloat are those that are slowly fermented in the rumen but are eaten in sufficient quantity to reduce periods of rapid herbage intake.

Evidence that an internal carbonic anhydrase is present in 5% CO2-grown and air-grown Chlamydomonas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moroney, J.V.; Togasaki, R.K.; Husic, H.D.; Tolbert, N.E.

1987-01-01

Inorganic carbon (C/sub i/) uptake was measured in wild-type cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and in cia-3, a mutant strain of C. reinhardtii that cannot grow with air levels of CO 2 . Both air-grown cells, that have a CO 2 concentrating system, and 5% CO 2 -grown cells that do not have this system, were used. When the external pH was 5.1 or 7.3, air-grown, wild-type cells accumulated inorganic carbon (C/sub i/) and this accumulation was enhanced when the permeant carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, ethoxyzolamide, was added. When the external pH was 5.1, 5% CO 2 -grown cells also accumulated some C/sub i/, although not as much as air-grown cells and this accumulation was stimulated by the addition of ethoxyzolamide. At the same time, ethoxyzolamide inhibited CO 2 fixation by high CO 2 -grown, wild-type cells at both pH 5.1 and 7.3. These observations imply that 5% CO 2 -grown, wild-type cells, have a physiologically important internal carbonic anhydrase, although the major carbonic anhydrase located in the periplasmic space is only present in air-grown cells. Inorganic carbon uptake by cia-3 cells supported this conclusion. This mutant strain, which is thought to lack an internal carbonic anhydrase, was unaffected by ethoxyzolamide at pH 5.1. Other physiological characteristics of cia-3 resemble those of wild-type cells that have been treated with ethoxyzolamide. It is concluded that an internal carbonic anhydrase is under different regulatory control than the periplasmic carbonic anhydrase

Subterranean ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae as prey of fossorial reptiles (Reptilia, Squamata: Amphisbaenidae in Central Brazil

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Flávia de Araújo Esteves

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The ant diversity observed in stomach contents of fossorial reptiles was compared to the subterranean ant richness collected using traditional and modern techniques of ant collections. We analyzed the alimentary tract of 64 specimens of amphisbaenians (4 Amphisbaena alba, 10 A. fuliginosa, 25 A. vermicularis, and 25 Leposternon infraorbitale collected during the fauna rescue for the construction of Serra da Mesa hydroelectric dam in the Tocantins River (from 1992 to 1997, in Minaçu County, Goiás, Brazil. We found only five ant species present in the stomach contents, all belonging to the army ants subfamily Ecitoninae. In contrast, the traditional techniques for subterranean ants' collection are far more efficient than the exam of fossorial reptile's stomach contents, collecting a much richer and diverse ant fauna. The exclusive occurrence of army ants in the alimentary tract of these fossorial reptiles suggests that they trace the chemical trails laid by the ants while moving inside and over the soil. Further, the occurrence of the epigaeic army ants Eciton and Labidus in the stomach contents suggests that amphisbaenians may forage on the soil surface as well.A diversidade de formigas no conteúdo estomacal de répteis fossoriais foi comparada à riqueza de formigas subterrâneas coletadas com o uso de técnicas tradicionais e modernas para sua coleta. Analisamos o trato alimentar de 64 espécimes de anfisbenídeos (4 Amphisbaena alba, 10 A. fuliginosa, 25 A. vermicularis e 25 Leposternon infraorbitale coletados durante o resgate da fauna para a construção da represa da Hidroelétrica da Serra da Mesa no Rio Tocantins (de 1992 a 1997, na cidade de Minaçu, Goiás, Brasil. Encontramos apenas cinco espécies de formigas presentes nos conteúdos estomacais aqui examinados, todas pertencentes à subfamília das formigas-de-correição, Ecitoninae. Ao contrário, as técnicas tradicionais de coleta de formigas subterrâneas são muito mais

In vitro isoflavonoid production and analysis in natural tetraploid Trifolium pratense (red clover calluses

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Tugba Ercetin

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Isoflavones are polyphenolic phytoestrogens, predominantly found in leguminous plants. Trifolium pratense L., Fabaceae (red clover, is rich in isoflavones that possess estrogenic activity due to their similar molecular structure and effectiveness in preventing health conditions such as menopause, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and hormone-dependent cancers. In this study, presence and amount of various phytoestrogens in the tetraploid plant and in the calluses derived from the plants were investigated. Calluses were generated from explants obtained from natural tetraploid T. pratense seedlings. The best callus formation was obtained from hypocotyl explants cultured in Phillips Collins and Gamborg B5 media containing different plant growth regulators. Flowers of plants and calluses were analysed for formononetin, biochanin A, genistein and daidzein contents using HPLC. In HPLC analysis, high levels of formononetin (0.249 µg/mg were determined in natural tetraploid T. pratense flowers in addition to genistein and biochanin A. In calluses, highest isoflavone content (1.15 µg/mg formononetin was observed in modified Gamborg B5 medium. Biochanin A content of calluses and the plant were found to be nearly the same. But formononetin and genistein contents of the calluses in this medium were found to be respectively 4.62 and 21.39 folds higher than the tetraploid plant.

In vitro isoflavonoid production and analysis in natural tetraploid Trifolium pratense (red clover calluses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tugba Ercetin

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Isoflavones are polyphenolic phytoestrogens, predominantly found in leguminous plants. Trifolium pratense L., Fabaceae (red clover, is rich in isoflavones that possess estrogenic activity due to their similar molecular structure and effectiveness in preventing health conditions such as menopause, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and hormone-dependent cancers. In this study, presence and amount of various phytoestrogens in the tetraploid plant and in the calluses derived from the plants were investigated. Calluses were generated from explants obtained from natural tetraploid T. pratense seedlings. The best callus formation was obtained from hypocotyl explants cultured in Phillips Collins and Gamborg B5 media containing different plant growth regulators. Flowers of plants and calluses were analysed for formononetin, biochanin A, genistein and daidzein contents using HPLC. In HPLC analysis, high levels of formononetin (0.249 µg/mg were determined in natural tetraploid T. pratense flowers in addition to genistein and biochanin A. In calluses, highest isoflavone content (1.15 µg/mg formononetin was observed in modified Gamborg B5 medium. Biochanin A content of calluses and the plant were found to be nearly the same. But formononetin and genistein contents of the calluses in this medium were found to be respectively 4.62 and 21.39 folds higher than the tetraploid plant.

Carcass parameters and meat quality in meat-goat kids finished on chicory, birdsfoot trefoil, or red clover pastures.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, K E; Cassida, K A; Zerby, H N; Brown, M A

2015-07-01

This study was conducted during the 2009 and 2010 grazing seasons to assess carcass parameters and chevon (goat meat) quality when meat-goat kids (n=72) were finished on pastures of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.; RCL), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.; BFT), or chicory (Cichorium intybus L.; CHIC). Final live weight (Pgoats were finished on RCL compared to CHIC with BFT being intermediate. Ribeye area, backfat thickness, body wall thickness, internal fat score, and leg score were not different (P>0.10) among treatments when adjusted for the covariate of carcass weight. Finishing meat-goat kids on RCL, BFT, or CHIC impacted concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) 18:1 trans-10, 18:1 cis-11, 18:2, 18:3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-6, omega-3, and PUFA:saturated fatty acid ratio in longissimus lumborum samples. Finishing meat-goat kids on CHIC, RCL, or BFT pastures produced carcass weights acceptable for most ethnic markets in the USA. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Knock-down of transcript abundance of a family of Kunitz proteinase inhibitor genes in white clover (Trifolium repens) reveals a redundancy and diversity of gene function.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Afsana; Leung, Susanna; Burgess, Elisabeth P J; Laing, William A; Richardson, Kim A; Hofmann, Rainer W; Dijkwel, Paul P; McManus, Michael T

2015-12-01

The transcriptional regulation of four phylogenetically distinct members of a family of Kunitz proteinase inhibitor (KPI) genes isolated from white clover (Trifolium repens; designated Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2, Tr-KPI4 and Tr-KPI5) has been investigated to determine their wider functional role. The four genes displayed differential transcription during seed germination, and in different tissues of the mature plant, and transcription was also ontogenetically regulated. Heterologous over-expression of Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2, Tr-KPI4 and Tr-KPI5 in Nicotiana tabacum retarded larval growth of the herbivore Spodoptera litura, and an increase in the transcription of the pathogenesis-related genes PR1 and PR4 was observed in the Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI4 over-expressing lines. RNA interference (RNAi) knock-down lines in white clover displayed significantly altered vegetative growth phenotypes with inhibition of shoot growth and a stimulation of root growth, while knock-down of Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2 and Tr-KPI5 transcript abundance also retarded larval growth of S. litura. Examination of these RNAi lines revealed constitutive stress-associated phenotypes as well as altered transcription of cellular signalling genes. These results reveal a functional redundancy across members of the KPI gene family. Further, the regulation of transcription of at least one member of the family, Tr-KPI2, may occupy a central role in the maintenance of a cellular homeostasis. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

A new species of Glaphyropoma: the first subterranean copionodontine catfish and the first occurrence of opercular odontodes in the subfamily (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae

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Maria Elina Bichuette

Full Text Available A new species of the rare copionodontine genus Glaphyropoma is described from subterranean waters in the Diamantina Plateau, Bahia State, central northeastern Brazil. This is the first troglomorphic species in the subfamily Copionodontinae. It is distinguished from all other copionodontines by the presence of opercular odontodes, and further distinguished from its only congener, G. rodriguesi, by the reduction of dark integumentary pigmentation. The new species shares the single synapomorphy previously proposed for Glaphyropoma, the marked narrowing of the first hypobranchial and indirect character evidence also supports its inclusion in the genus. The presence of opercular odontodes in the new species, in combination with a reviewed hypothesis of sister group relationship between Copionodontinae and Trichogeninae, indicate that the absence of opercular odontodes in previously-known copionodontines is secondary, rather than primitive.

Discussion of a Well-Designed Clinical Trial Which Did Not Demonstrate Effectiveness: UIC Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Study of Black Cohosh and Red Clover

Science.gov (United States)

Shulman, Lee P.; Banuvar, Suzanne; Fong, Harry H. S.; Farnsworth, Norman R.

2016-01-01

The performance of a clinical trial for pharmaceutical agents is usually undertaken only after there is likely benefit demonstrated from the use of the putative agent. The consideration of botanical products as pharmaceutical agents must similarly go through a rigorous evaluation process. The present work reviews the recently published Phase II study evaluating the effectiveness of black cohosh and red clover in a randomized trial with conjugated equine estradiol/medroxyprogesterone acetate and placebo for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. We analyze the possible reasons why this study failed to show benefit for either botanical product in reducing menopause-related vasomotor symptoms. PMID:21034798

Seasonality of major redox constituents in a shallow subterranean estuary

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Alison E.; Krask, Julie L.; Canuel, Elizabeth A.; Beck, Aaron J.

2018-03-01

The subterranean estuary (STE), the subsurface mixing zone of outflowing fresh groundwater and infiltrating seawater, is an area of extensive geochemical reactions that determine the composition of groundwater that flows into coastal environments. This study examined the porewater composition of a shallow STE (redox gradients on STE geochemistry. Two freshwater endmembers were identified, between which redox potential and composition varied with depth-a shallow freshwater endmember was oxidizing and high in DOC, whereas a deep freshwater endmember was reducing, lower in DOC, and high in sulfide. Results showed that dissolved Fe, Mn, and sulfide varied along a redox gradient distinct from the salinity gradient, and that three-endmember mixing was required to quantify non-conservative chemical addition/removal in the STE. In addition to salinity, humic carbon was used as a quasi-conservative tracer to quantify mixing according to a three-endmember model. The vertical distributions of DOC and reduced metabolites remained approximately constant over time, but concentrations varied with season. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations were greatest in the summer, and shallow meteoric groundwater supplied the majority of DOC to the STE. In summer, there was additional evidence for shallow non-conservative addition of DOC. Dissolved Fe and Mn were highest in a subsurface plume through the middle of the STE (100-140 cm below sediment surface at the high tide line) which was characterized by higher concentrations and greater non-conservative addition in the winter. In contrast, sulfide was higher in summer at depths within the Fe and Mn plume (100-140 cm). We attribute the contrasting seasonal patterns of dissolved Fe, Mn, and sulfide to differences in microbial response to temperature changes and organic matter availability, and to competition at the ferrous-sulfidic transition zone between dissimilatory metal reduction and sulfate reduction, leading to sulfate

Assessment of Qualitative and Quantitative Characters of Two Persian Clover Ecotypes Inoculated by Rhizobium leguminosarum biovartrifoli and Pesudomonas putida Bacteria

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R Azamei

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction Over the past decades, world attitude has changed towards the reduction of environmental pollutants. Harmful effects of synthetic fertilizers on environment have been identified. Bio-fertilizers are not harmful to the environment, but also they have favorable effects on plant growth processes. Soil biotechnology can be defined as the study of soil organisms and their metabolic processes which may have positive effects on plant yields. The main goal of this study is to asess the biotechnology fertilizers beneficial effects on soil organisms and their subsequently to maximize the yield. It is also our desire conside the soil quality, hygiene and environmental protection along this process. Among the strain of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, symbiotic bacteria such as rhizobium bacteria are important and essential in planning the sustainable farming systems. Several studies have shown that crop varieties which inoculated with rhizobium and pseudomonas were superior in yield production and performance. Material and Methods An experiment was designed as factorial performed in randomized complete block design (RCBD with three replications in Agricultural Research Center of Golpayegan (Isfahan during 2010 – 2011. the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of inoculation of two ecotypes of Persian clover by various strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum. Biovar trifoli bacteria accompanied with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR Pseudomonas putida was employed to find certain qualitative and quantitative characteristics of clover yield, The main plots included two local ecotypes of Persian clover; Arak Haft Chin (V1 and Isfahan Haft Chin (V2, the subplots included inoculation by two strain of Rhizobium; Rb-3, Rb-13 and one strain of Pseudomonas; PS -168.4 cuts were performed during the experiment and 60 kg/ha seed was used for cultivation based on local knowledge. According to recommendations of the Institute of Soil and Water

The Effects of Ensiled Berseem Clover and Citrus Pulp Mixture on Performance of Zel Fattened Lambs

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maedeh feyz

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction Feed contributes about 75% of the total cost of animal production, therefore utilizing of by-products such as Berseem clover and citrus pulp, as nutritive and low cost components of rations would decrease the production cost. In north of Iran over autumn and winter, utilizing of these by-products in making of silage as feed for ruminants provides good feed ingredient especially in feedlot operations, also eliminates pathogens, and reduces the effect of drugs and pesticides that are used locally without a serious control or discipline. However, little information available on utilizing silage made from these local by-products. The objectives of this research were to investigate the effects of ensiled Berseem clover and orange peels mixture on intake, digestibility, chewing behavior and performance of Zel fattening lambs. Materials and methods Twenty male Zel lambs fed with five experimental rations containing basal concentrate and 35% Berseem clover silage as: 1 without additives, 2 supplemented with 40% dried orange peels, 3 supplemented with 40% dried tangerine peel, 4 supplemented with 35% dried tangerine peel and 5% ground barley and 5 supplemented with 35% dried orange peels and 5% ground barley. Lambs were housed in individual box and fed ad libitum, twice daily at 09:00 and 21:00 h with total mixed rations as experimental treatments, allowing for at least 10% residuals (as-fed basis. Water and mineralized salt stone were available throughout the experiment. Feed particle size distribution, geometric mean and the standard deviation of geometric mean were determined by dry sieving in four replicates, using two set of Penn State particle separator. Feed, feces and orts were analyzed for dry matter, Kjeldahl N, ether extract, organic matter and ash at 605°C, neutral and acid detergent fiber (NDF and ADF when α-amylase being added for concentrates during NDF extraction; sodium sulfite was not added. Neutral detergent fiber was

Variation of some chemical and functional properties of Bambara groundnut (Voandzeia Subterranean L. Thouars during sort time storage

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Augustin GOUDOUM

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The storage susceptibility of Bambara groundnut (B. G. (Voandzeia Subterranean (L. Thouars to Callosobruchus maculatus and chemical and functional properties of 11 varieties form Far-North of Cameroon were investigate using standard analytical methods. Storage susceptibility shown that, after five months within treatment, C. maculatus destroy 10 to 50% of grains. The chemical characteristics of none attack grains of 11 varieties were range to 18.64 at 21.08%, 6.85 at 7.44%, 49.75 at 52.68% and to 6.05 at 7.55% respectively for protein, fat, starch and free carbohydrate. These chemical characteristics significantly (p < 0.05 decreases form attacks varieties. For the functional parameters, the none attacks grains was range of 130 at 135%, 19.15 at 20.91%, 18.20 at 21.13%, 2.76 at 3.21% and of 8.54 at 10.14% respectively for water capacity absorption, solubility index, gel length, ash and humidity. The results of this study indicated that storage susceptibility, chemical and functional properties of B. G. be dependant to the varieties.

Interannual variation in nitrous oxide emissions from perennial ryegrass/white clover grassland used for dairy production.

Science.gov (United States)

Burchill, William; Li, Dejun; Lanigan, Gary J; Williams, Micheal; Humphreys, James

2014-10-01

Nitrous oxide (N2 O) emissions are subject to intra- and interannual variation due to changes in weather and management. This creates significant uncertainties when quantifying estimates of annual N2 O emissions from grazed grasslands. Despite these uncertainties, the majority of studies are short-term in nature (Nitrous oxide emissions were measured from fertilized and grazed perennial ryegrass/white clover grassland (WC) and from perennial ryegrass plots that were not grazed and did not receive N input (GB), over 4 years from 2008 to 2012 in Ireland (52°51'N, 08°21'W). The annual N2 O-N emissions (kg ha(-1); mean ± SE) ranged from 4.4 ± 0.2 to 34.4 ± 5.5 from WC and from 1.7 ± 0.8 to 6.3 ± 1.2 from GB. Interannual variation in N2 O emissions was attributed to differences in annual rainfall, monthly (December) soil temperatures and variation in N input. Such substantial interannual variation in N2 O emissions highlights the need for long-term studies of emissions from managed pastoral systems. © 2014 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mowing mitigates bioactivity of neonicotinoid insecticides in nectar of flowering lawn weeds and turfgrass guttation.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Jonathan L; Redmond, Carl T; Potter, Daniel A

2015-01-01

Systemic neonicotinoid insecticides are used to control turfgrass insect pests. The authors tested their transference into nectar of flowering lawn weeds or grass guttation droplets, which, if high enough, could be hazardous to bees or other insects that feed on such exudates. The authors applied imidacloprid or clothianidin to turf with white clover, followed by irrigation, and used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyze residues in clover blooms that were directly sprayed during application or that formed after the first mowing. Imidacloprid residues in guttation fluid from field-grown creeping bentgrass were assessed similarly. The authors used Orius insidiosus, a small anthrocorid bug that is sensitive to dietary neonicotinoids, as a bioindicator of the exudates' toxicity. Nectar from directly sprayed clover blooms contained 5493 ng/g to 6588 ng/g imidacloprid or 2882 ng/g to 2992 ng/g clothianidin and was acutely toxic to Orius. Residues were 99.4% to 99.8% lower in nectar of blooms formed after mowing, and nontoxic to Orius. Imidacloprid residues in turfgrass guttation averaged 88 ng/g at 1 wk after treatment, causing some intoxication of Orius, but declined to 23 ng/g within 3 wk. Systemic transference of neonicotinoids into white clover nectar and creeping bentgrass guttation appears relatively low and transitory. The hazard to nontarget insects via nectar of flowering weeds in treated lawns can be mitigated by adhering to label precautions and mowing to remove blooms if they are inadvertently sprayed. © 2014 SETAC.

Nitrate leaching and residual effect in dairy crop rotations with grass-clover leys as influenced by sward age, grazing, cutting and fertilizer regimes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Jørgen; Askegaard, Margrethe; Rasmussen, Jim

2015-01-01

Intensive dairy farming, with grass-arable crop rotations is challenged by low N use efficiency that may have adverse environmental consequences. We investigated nitrate leaching and N fertility effects of grass–clover leys for five years in two organic crop rotations with different grassland...... with the 2-yr-old leaching the most (36–46 kg N ha−1), and (4) high leaching (>50 kg N ha−1) with lupin and maize, where especially maize was consistently high in all five years (average 81 kg N ha−1). Great care should be taken during all phases of the dairy crop rotation where grasslands cause considerable...... build-up of fertility. With due care and the best management practice, nitrate leaching losses may be reduced to low levels....

The Hawaiian cave planthoppers (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Cixiidae - A model for rapid subterranean speciation?

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Hannelore Hoch

1997-01-01

Full Text Available After the successful colonization of a single ancestral species in the Hawaiian Islands, planthoppers of the cixiid genus Oliarus underwent intensive adaptive radiation resulting in 80 described endemic species. Oliarus habitats range from montaneous rain forests to dry coastal biotopes and subterranean environments. At least 7 independant evolutionary lines represented by different species have adapted to lava tubes on Molokai (1, Maui (3, and Hawaii Island (3. Behavioral and morphological studies on one of these evolutionary lines on Hawaii Island, the blind, flight- and pigmentless Oliarus polyphentus have provided evidence for reproductive isolation between allopatric populations which may in fact be separate species. Significant differences in song parameters were observed even between populations from neighbouring lava tubes, although the planthoppers are capable of underground migration through the voids and cracks of the mesocavernous rock system which is extant in young basalt: after a little more than 20 years, lava tubes within the Mauna Ulu 1974 flow had been colonized by O. ‘polyphenius” individuals, most probably originating from a near-by forestkipuka. Amazingly, this species complex is found on the youngest of the Hawaiian Islands, with probably less than 0.5 m.y., which suggests rapid speciation processes. Field observations have led to the development of a hypothesis to match underground speciation with the dynamics of vegetational succession on the surface of active volcanoes. Planthopper range partitioning and geographic separation of populations by young lava flows, founder events and small population size may be important factors involved in rapid divergence.

Forage fiber effects on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schulze, Anne-Katrine Skovsted; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Storm, Adam Christian

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NDF content in highly digestible grass/clover silage on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in dairy heifers. The reduction in particle size from feed to feces was evaluated and related to feed intake...... measured. Intake of NDF increased linearly from 2.3 to 2.8 kg/d with greater NDF content of forages (P = 0.01), but silages were exposed to similar eating time (P = 0.55) and rumination time per kg NDF (P = 0.35). No linear effect of NDF content was found on proportion of LP in ingested feed boluses (P = 0.......31), medial rumen digesta (P = 0.95), ventral rumen digesta (P = 0.84), and feces (P = 0.09). Greater proportions of DM (P ruminal digesta compared with ventral rumen, and differences in DM proportion increased with greater NDF content (P = 0...

Transcriptome sequencing of the blind subterranean mole rat, Spalax galili: Utility and potential for the discovery of novel evolutionary patterns

KAUST Repository

Malik, Assaf

2011-08-12

The blind subterranean mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies) is a model animal for survival under extreme environments due to its ability to live in underground habitats under severe hypoxic stress and darkness. Here we report the transcriptome sequencing of Spalax galili, a chromosomal type of S. ehrenbergi. cDNA pools from muscle and brain tissues isolated from animals exposed to hypoxic and normoxic conditions were sequenced using Sanger, GS FLX, and GS FLX Titanium technologies. Assembly of the sequences yielded over 51,000 isotigs with homology to ~12,000 mouse, rat or human genes. Based on these results, it was possible to detect large numbers of splice variants, SNPs, and novel transcribed regions. In addition, multiple differential expression patterns were detected between tissues and treatments. The results presented here will serve as a valuable resource for future studies aimed at identifying genes and gene regions evolved during the adaptive radiation associated with underground life of the blind mole rat. 2011 Malik et al.

Alfalfa seedlings grown outdoors are more resistant to UV-induced DNA damage than plants grown in a UV-free environmental chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takayanagi, Shinnosuke; Trunk, J.G.; Sutherland, J.C.; Sutherland, B.M.

1994-01-01

The relative UV sensitivities of alfalfa seedlings grown outdoors versus plants grown in a growth chamber under UV-filtered cool white fluorescent bulbs have been determined using three criteria: (1) level of endogenous DNA damage as sites for the UV endonuclease from Micrococcus luteus, (2) susceptibility to pyrimidine dimer induction by a UV challenge exposure and (3) ability to repair UV-induced damage. We find that outdoor-grown plants contain approximately equal frequencies of endogenous DNA damages, are less susceptible to dimer induction by a challenge exposure of broad-spectrum UV and photorepair dimers more rapidly than plants grown in an environmental chamber under cool white fluorescent lamps plus a filter removes most UV radiation. These data suggest that plants grown in a natural environment would be less sensitive to UVB-induced damage than would be predicted on the basis of studies on plants grown under minimum UV. (author)

Rapid elimination of field colonies of subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) using bistrifluron solid bait pellets.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Theodore A

2010-04-01

The efficacy of bistrifluron, a chitin synthesis inhibitor, in cellulose bait pellets was evaluated on the mound-building subterranean termite, Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt). Three concentrations of the bistrifluron were used: 0 (untreated control), 0.5, and 1.0% over an 8 wk period. Both doses of bistrifluron bait eliminated (viz. termites absent from nest or mound) termite colonies: 83% of colonies (10 of 12) were either eliminated or moribund (viz. colony had no reproductive capacity and decreased workforce) after 8 wk, compared with none of the control colonies. The remaining two treated colonies were deemed to be in decline. Early signs that bistrifluron was affecting the colonies included: 3 wk after baiting mound temperatures showed a loss of metabolic heat, 4 wk after baiting foraging activity in feeding stations was reduced or absent, and dissection of two mounds at 4 wk showed they were moribund. Colony elimination was achieved in around half or less the time, and with less bait toxicant, than other bait products tested under similar conditions in the field, because of either the active ingredient, the high surface area of the pellets, or a combination of both. This suggests the sometimes long times reported for control using baits may be reduced significantly. The use of a mound building species demonstrated clearly colony level effects before and after termites stopped foraging in bait stations.

The effect of soil extracts from a monoculture of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. grown under different tillage systems on the germination of its seeds

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Piotr Kraska

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The present experiment was carried out in the period 2006-2008. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of aqueous soil extracts from the soil of a spring wheat monoculture on seed germination energy and capacity, the length of the first leaf and of the longest radicle as well as the number of radicles. Moreover, the content of 0-dihydroxyphenols in the soil was compared in the last year of the study. The soil used to prepare the solutions came from a field experiment established on medium heavy mixed rendzina soil. Spring wheat, cv. Zebra, was grown using plough tillage and two conservation tillage methods in the presence of undersown crops (red clover, Westerwolds ryegrass and stubble crops (lacy phacelia, white mustard. Germination energy of the seeds watered with the soil extracts from the ploughed plots was significantly higher than this trait in the seeds watered with the extracts from the conservation tillage treatments with spring disking of the catch crops. Germination energy and capacity of spring wheat in the control treatment watered with distilled water were significantly higher compared to the other treatments under evaluation. Spring wheat watered with the aqueous extract prepared from the soil obtained from the plough tillage treatment produced a significantly longer first leaf compared to the treatments in which both conservation tillage methods had been used. The shortest leaf and the lowest number of radicles were produced by the seedlings watered with the soil extract from the treatment with the white clover stubble crop. Radicle length was not significantly differentiated by the soil extracts under consideration. The content of 0-dihydroxyphenols in the rendzina soil determined during the spring period was higher than that determined in the autumn. The content of 0-dihydroxyphenols in the soil was lower in the conservation tillage treatments with autumn incorporation of the catch crops than in the plots in which

Nitrogen-doped two-dimensional porous carbon sheets derived from clover biomass for high performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cunjing; Wu, Dapeng; Wang, Hongju; Gao, Zhiyong; Xu, Fang; Jiang, Kai

2017-09-01

Highly porous carbon sheets were prepared from fresh clover stems under air atmosphere via a facile potassium chloride salt-sealing technique, which not only avoids using the high cost inert gas protection but also spontaneously introduce multi-level porosity into the carbon structure taking advantage of the trace of oxygen in the molten salt system. The as-obtained porous carbon sheets possess high specific surface area of 2244 m2 g-1 and interconnected hierarchical pore structures from micro-to macro-scale, which provide abundant storage active sites and fast ion diffusion channels. In addition, the spontaneously formed N (2.55 at%) and O (6.94 at%) doping sites not only improve the electron conductivity of the electrode but also enhance the specific capacitance by introducing pseudocapacitance. When employed as supercapacitor electrodes, a high specific capacitance of 436 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and an excellent rate capacity with capacitance remaining 290 F g-1 at 50 A g-1 are demonstrated. Furthermore, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor delivers a high specific capacitance of 420 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1, excellent energy density of 58.4 Wh kg-1 and good cycling stability which retains 99.4% of the initial capacitance at 5 A g-1 after 30,000 cycles.

Recent results in characterization of melt-grown and quench-melt- grown YBCO superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balachandran, U.; Poeppel, R.B.; Gangopadhyay, A.K.

1992-02-01

From the standpoint of applications, melt-grown (MG) and quench-melt-grown (QMG) bulk YBCO superconductors are of considerable interest. In this paper, we studied the intragranular critical current density (J c ), the apparent pinning potential (U o ), and the irreversibility temperature (T irr ) of MG and QMG samples and compared the results to those for conventionally sintered YBCO. A systematic increase in U o and a slower drop in J c with temperature indicate a systematic improvement in flux-pinning properties in progressing from the sintered YBCO to QMG and MG samples. Weaker pinning is observed in the QMG YBCO than in the MG samples

Field dodder – How to control it?

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Marija Sarić-Krsmanović

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Broad geographic distribution and spectrum of hosts make field dodder, Cuscuta campestris, one of the most widespread and most harmful pests among flowering parasitic plants. Field dodder may become a problem in vegetable nurseries (e.g. tomato, sweet pepper and cabbage or in potato or some other crop grown in plastic greenhouses. However, the most devastating damage comes from field dodder outbreaks in newly-established perennial legume crops (alfalfa, clover, etc., which are generally the preferred hosts of this parasitic flowering species. Apart from alfalfa and clover, an expansion of field dodder has been observed in recent years in sugar beet, too. Different measures are available for controlling field dodder, from preventive (pure seeding material, tolerant cultivars, etc., to mechanical removal (mowing and hand weeding to herbicide treatments. The most successful control of field dodder requires a systematic approach ensured through integrated protection, which contributes to a more effective control of parasitic flowering plants.

Effect of soil type and forage crops on manganese content in roughage

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Jakšić Snežana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the effects of soil type and forage crops on the content of manganese (Mn in roughages, and forage quality regarding Mn content. The trial was carried out on chernozem and humogley under alfalfa and red clover. Samples for determination of Mn content in plant and total Mn content in soil were digested using the apparatus Milestone Ethos 1 and for Mn determination on ICP-OES Vista Pro-Axial Varian. Average total Mn content in soil of the tested sites was 473.1 mg/kg. Total Mn content in chernozem was higher than in humogley. Average Mn content in forage crops was 28.7 mg/kg. Dry matter Mn content was lower in crops grown on humogley. Mn content was significantly higher in red clover. Significant positive correlation was found between total Mn content in soil and Mn content in crops. Mn concentration in crops was below critical and toxic value.

A comparative study of transfer factors of water, iodine and strontium on rye-grass and clover. Development of a model of evaluation of the limits of foliar contamination by wet deposit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angeletti, Livio; Levi, Emilio.

1977-07-01

Transfer factors of water, iodine ( 131 I) and strontium ( 85 Sr) on above-ground parts of rye-grass and clover were determined as a function of aspersion intensities. An analysis of the results showed the effect of aspersion intensities, nature of the chemical element and plant species on the values of transfer factors of iodine and strontium. It also made it possible to propose a simple method of evaluation of contamination limits of the aerial parts of plants by wet deposit, based on transfer values of water on plants only [fr

Efeito da palha de cana-de-açúcar e do tamanho dos tubérculos na biomassa das estruturas subterrâneas de Cyperus rotundus Effect of sugar cane straw and tuber size on the subterranean system of Cyperus rotundus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.C.S.S. Novo

2005-09-01

Full Text Available O experimento foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da adição de palha de cana-de-açúcar RB855156 nas quantidades correspondentes a 0,0, 5,0, 10,0 e 15,0 t ha-1 nas biomassas das estruturas subterrâneas de plantas de tiririca provenientes de tubérculos de tamanho pequeno (0,22 a 0,34 g e grande (1,01 a 1,14 g, plantados em maio, julho e setembro. Para cada época de plantio, a cada 28 até 84 dias, as partes subterrâneas da tiririca foram separadas nas diferentes estruturas, sendo determinadas suas biomassas fresca e seca. De modo geral, o tamanho maior dos tubérculos favoreceu o desenvolvimento da parte subterrânea, e plantas originadas de tubérculos de tamanho grande apresentaram maiores biomassas. A adição de palha de cana-de-açúcar causou redução no desenvolvimento das diferentes estruturas subterrâneas, seguindo uma equação de segundo grau. Verificou-se que as biomassas foram maiores no plantio de setembro, exceto para biomassa fresca de tubérculos, que foi maior em maio. Com relação ao efeito de época de amostragem, foram observados aumentos lineares em função do tempo para todas as variáveis analisadas.The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of different amounts of sugar cane straw on the biomass of the subterranean structures of purple nutsedge deriving from small (0.22 to 0.34 g and large (1.01 to 1.14 g sized tubers, planted at different times of the year. Dormant purple nutsedge tubers of small and large sizes were planted in plastic pots with clay soil in May, July and September, and RB855156 sugar cane straw was added in quantities corresponding to 0.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 t ha-1. For each planting period, at every 28 day interval up to 84 days, the subterranean parts of the purple nutsedge were separated into their different structures and their fresh and dry biomasses were determined. In general, the larger size of the tubers favored the development of the subterranean parts. It

Weed species diversity in organic and integrated farming systems

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Magdalena Jastrzębska

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Phytosociological data were collected in 1994–1996 in plots (relevés at the Research Station for Organic Farming and Conservation Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Popielno included in a large-area experiment conducted according to the concept and method proposed by Prof. S. Nawrocki. In a four-field crop rotation (root crops – spring barley undersown with red clover and grasses – red clover/grass mixture – winter triticale, each field was divided into two management units, organic and integrated. Data were collected in relevés by the Braun-Blanquet method, each year at the peak of the growing season. Weed abundance (% cover in cultivated fields and the number of weed species (species richness in crops were determined, which provided a basis for calculating the Shannon-Wiener indices of species diversity and evenness, and the Rényi profiles. The qualitative (species and quantitative structure of weed communities was compared using the Sørensen index. A total of 115 weed taxa (species, subspecies and varieties were identified in the examined agro-phytocenoses. Echinochloa crus-galli, Chenopodium album, Matricaria maritima subsp. inodora, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Thlaspi arvense and Stellaria media were the most abundant. Weed infestation was slightly higher in the organic farming system than in the integrated system. Organic farming contributed to higher weed species diversity in root crops, red clover/grass mixtures and winter triticale. Weed species richness was reduced in red clover/grass stands, while root crops and – to a lesser degree – spring barley undersown with red clover and grasses decreased weed species diversity. The species composition and in particular the quantitative structure of weeds were affected by crop species and cultivation regime rather than by the farming system. Weed communities of crops grown under organic and integrated farming systems were more similar with regard to species composition

Polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity in organically and conventionally grown vegetables

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Kevser Unal

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of ethanol extracts of some organically and conventionally grown leafy vegetables. Methods: The ethanol extracts of kailan (Brassica alboglabra, bayam (Amaranthus spp. and sawi (Brassica parachinensis were tested for total phenolic content (TPC, total flavonoid content (TFC, and total anthocyanin content (TAC and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. Results: In TPC test, sawi extract showed the highest phenolic content while bayam contained the least phenolic content for both organically and conventionally grown types. In TFC test, organically grown sawi extract showed the highest flavonoid content, while organically grown kailan extract showed the least flavonoid content among all types of vegetables. The flavonoid content of the conventionally grown types of vegetable extracts was the highest in kalian and the least in sawi. For 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, the activity increased with the increasing concentration of each extract. All conventionally grown vegetable extracts showed higher antioxidant activity compared to their organically grown counterparts. Extracts of conventionally grown sawi showed the highest percentage inhibition followed by conventionally grown kailan and organically grown sawi. There were no correlation between TPC, TFC, TAC and IC25 of both organically and conventionally grown vegetables. However, there was a correlation between TAC and IC25 of conventionally grown vegetable extracts. The results showed relatively similar polyphenol content between organically and conventionally grown vegetable extracts. However, the conventionally grown vegetables extracts generally have higher antioxidant activity compared to the organically grown extracts. Conclusions: These results suggested that the different types of agricultural practice had a significant contribution to the

Effects of maturity and harvest season of grass-clover silage and of forage-to-concentrate ratio on milk production of dairy cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alstrup, L; Søegaard, K; Weisbjerg, M R

2016-01-01

This study examined the effects of maturity and season of harvest of grass-clover silages and forage:concentrate ratio (FCR) on feed intake, milk production, chewing activity, digestibility, and fecal consistency of Holstein dairy cows. Comparison included 2 cuts in spring season (early and late......) and 2 cuts in summer season (early and late) combined with high FCR (80:20; HFCR) and low FCR (50:50; LFCR). The experiment included 24 lactating Holstein cows arranged as 2 repeated 4 × 4 Latin squares with four 21-d periods and included measurements of feed composition, feed intake, milk production...... digestible than late maturity cuts, which was also reflected in a lower concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in early maturity cuts, whereas summer cuts had a higher crude protein concentration than spring cuts. Increased maturity decreased the intake of DM and energy, increased NDF intake...

Light perception in two strictly subterranean rodents: life in the dark or blue?

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Ondrej Kott

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia are strictly subterranean, congenitally microphthalmic rodents that are hardly ever exposed to environmental light. Because of the lack of an overt behavioural reaction to light, they have long been considered to be blind. However, recent anatomical studies have suggested retention of basic visual capabilities. In this study, we employed behavioural tests to find out if two mole-rat species are able to discriminate between light and dark, if they are able to discriminate colours and, finally, if the presence of light in burrows provokes plugging behaviour, which is assumed to have a primarily anti-predatory function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: We used a binary choice test to show that the silvery mole-rat Heliophobius argenteocinereus and the giant mole-rat Fukomys mechowii exhibit a clear photoavoidance response to full-spectrum ("white", blue and green-yellow light, but no significant reaction to ultraviolet or red light during nest building. The mole-rats thus retain dark/light discrimination capabilities and a capacity to perceive short to medium-wavelength light in the photopic range of intensities. These findings further suggest that the mole-rat S opsin has its absorption maximum in the violet/blue part of the spectrum. The assay did not yield conclusive evidence regarding colour discrimination. To test the putative role of vision in bathyergid anti-predatory behaviour, we examined the reaction of mole-rats to the incidence of light in an artificial burrow system. The presence of light in the burrow effectively induced plugging of the illuminated tunnel. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that the photopic vision is conserved and that low acuity residual vision plays an important role in predator avoidance and tunnel maintenance in the African mole-rats.

GREENHOUSE-GROWN CAPE GOOSEBERRY

African Journals Online (AJOL)

/2006 S 4,00. Printed in Uganda. All rights reserved O2006, African Crop Science Society. SHORT COMMINICATION. EFFECT OF GIBBERRELLIC ACID ON GROWTH AND FRUIT YIELD OF. GREENHOUSE-GROWN CAPE GOOSEBERRY.

Fecal microbiota of lambs fed purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea Vent.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qianqian; Holman, Devin B; Alexander, Trevor; Hu, Tianming; Jin, Long; Xu, Zhongjun; McAllister, Tim A; Acharya, Surya; Zhao, Guoqi; Wang, Yuxi

2018-01-01

The present study assessed the effect of purple prairie clover (PPC) and PPC condensed tannins (CT) on the fecal microbiota of lambs using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. A total of 18 individual lambs were randomly divided into three groups and fed either green chop alfalfa (Alf), a 40:60 (DM basis; Mix) mixture of Alf and PPC, or Mix supplemented with polyethylene glycol (Mix-P) for 18 days. Fecal samples were collected on days 13 through 18 using digital rectal retrieval. The DNA of fecal samples was extracted and the microbial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced using 454 pyrosequencing. Regardless of diet, the bacterial community was dominated by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes with many sequences unclassified at the genus level. Forage type and CT had no effect on the fecal microbial composition at the phylum level or on α-diversity. Compared to the Alf diet, the Mix diet reduced the relative abundance of Akkermansia (P = 0.03) and Asteroleplasma (P = 0.05). Fecal microbial populations in Alf and Mix-P clustered separately from each other when assessed using unweighted UniFrac (P < 0.05). These results indicate that PPC CT up to 36 g/kg DM in the diet had no major effect on fecal microbial flora at the phyla level and exerted only minor effects on the genera composition of fecal microbiota in lambs.

Quantitative and Qualitative Involvement of P3N-PIPO in Overcoming Recessive Resistance against Clover Yellow Vein Virus in Pea Carrying the cyv1 Gene

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sun Hee; Hagiwara-Komoda, Yuka; Atsumi, Go; Shimada, Ryoko; Hisa, Yusuke; Naito, Satoshi

2013-01-01

In pea carrying cyv1, a recessive gene for resistance to Clover yellow vein virus (ClYVV), ClYVV isolate Cl-no30 was restricted to the initially infected cells, whereas isolate 90-1 Br2 overcame this resistance. We mapped the region responsible for breaking of cyv1-mediated resistance by examining infection of cyv1 pea with chimeric viruses constructed from parts of Cl-no30 and 90-1 Br2. The breaking of resistance was attributed to the P3 cistron, which is known to produce two proteins: P3, from the main open reading frame (ORF), and P3N-PIPO, which has the N-terminal part of P3 fused to amino acids encoded by a small open reading frame (ORF) called PIPO in the +2 reading frame. We introduced point mutations that were synonymous with respect to the P3 protein but nonsynonymous with respect to the P3N-PIPO protein, and vice versa, into the chimeric viruses. Infection of plants with these mutant viruses revealed that both P3 and P3N-PIPO were involved in overcoming cyv1-mediated resistance. Moreover, P3N-PIPO quantitatively affected the virulence of Cl-no30 in cyv1 pea. Additional expression in trans of the P3N-PIPO derived from Cl-no30, using White clover mosaic virus as a vector, enabled Cl-no30 to move to systemic leaves in cyv1 pea. Susceptible pea plants infected with chimeric ClYVV possessing the P3 cistron of 90-1 Br2, and which were therefore virulent toward cyv1 pea, accumulated more P3N-PIPO than did those infected with Cl-no30, suggesting that the higher level of P3N-PIPO in infected cells contributed to the breaking of resistance by 90-1 Br2. This is the first report showing that P3N-PIPO is a virulence determinant in plants resistant to a potyvirus. PMID:23616656

Dairy cow responses to graded levels of rapeseed and soya bean expeller supplementation on a red clover/grass silage-based diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinne, M; Kuoppala, K; Ahvenjärvi, S; Vanhatalo, A

2015-12-01

The effects of rapeseed and soya bean expeller (SBE) supplementation on digestion and milk production responses in dairy cows were investigated in an incomplete Latin square design using five cows and four 3-week periods. The experimental diets consisted of five concentrate treatments fed at a rate of 9 kg/day: a mixture of barley and oats, which was replaced with rapeseed or SBE at two levels (CP concentration (g/kg dry matter (DM)) of 130 for the control concentrate and 180 and 230 for the two protein supplemented levels). A mixture of grass and red clover silage (1:1) was fed ad libitum and it had a CP concentration of 157 g/kg DM. Supply of nutrients to the lower tract was measured using the omasal canal sampling technique, and total digestion from total faecal collection. Protein supplementation increased omasal canal amino acid (AA) flows and plasma concentrations of AA, and was also reflected as increased milk production. However, N use efficiency (NUE) decreased with increased protein supplementation. Rapeseed expeller (RSE) tended to increase silage DM intake and elicited higher milk production responses compared with SBE and also resulted in a higher NUE. The differences between the protein supplements in nitrogen metabolism were relatively small, for example, there were no differences in the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis or omasal canal flows of nitrogenous components between them, but plasma methionine concentration was lower for soya bean-fed cows at the high CP level in particular. The lower milk protein production responses to SBE than to RSE supplementation were at least partly caused by increased silage DM and by the lower methionine supply, which may further have been amplified by the use of red clover in the basal diet. Although feed intake, diet digestion, AA supply and milk production were all consistently improved by protein supplementation, there was a simultaneous decrease in NUE. In the current study, the milk protein production

Elevated concentrations of dissolved Ba, Fe and Mn in a mangrove subterranean estuary: Consequence of sea level rise?

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Christian J.; Santos, Isaac R.; Barcellos, Renato; Silva Filho, Emmanoel V.

2012-07-01

Groundwater underlying a mangrove habitat was studied to determine the geochemical nature of Ba, Fe and Mn as related to dissolved organic carbon (DOC), SO4 and salinity (Sepetiba Bay, Brazil). Wells were placed across geobotanic facies and sampled monthly for a year. We observed non-conservative behavior and elevated concentrations of dissolved metals relative to local end-members (i.e., fresh river water and seawater). Average Ba concentrations were near 2000 nM in an area with low salinity (˜5.3). Dissolved Fe (up to 654 μM) was two orders of magnitude greater in fresh groundwater than in the seaward sampling stations. Manganese concentrations were greatest (112 μM) in the high salinity (˜65) zone, being directly influenced by salinity. Groundwater Ba, Fe and Mn showed differing site specific concentrations, likely related to ion exchange processes and redox-controlled cycling along distinct mangrove facies. The results of this work show that metal concentrations are altered relative to conservative mixing between terrestrial and marine endmembers, illustrating the importance of mangrove subterranean estuaries as biogeochemical reactors. Roughly-estimated submarine groundwater discharge-derived dissolved Ba, Fe and Mn fluxes were at least one order of magnitude greater than river-derived fluxes into Sepetiba Bay.

As-grown deep-level defects in n-GaN grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on freestanding GaN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shang; Ishikawa, Kenji; Hori, Masaru; Honda, Unhi; Shibata, Tatsunari; Matsumura, Toshiya; Tokuda, Yutaka; Ueda, Hiroyuki; Uesugi, Tsutomu; Kachi, Tetsu

2012-01-01

Traps of energy levels E c -0.26 and E c -0.61 eV have been identified as as-grown traps in n-GaN grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition by using deep level transient spectroscopy of the Schottky contacts fabricated by resistive evaporation. The additional traps of E c -0.13 and E c -0.65 eV have been observed in samples whose contacts are deposited by electron-beam evaporation. An increase in concentration of the E c -0.13 and E c -0.65 eV traps when approaching the interface between the contact and the GaN film supports our argument that these traps are induced by electron-beam irradiation. Conversely, the depth profiles of as-grown traps show different profiles between several samples with increased or uniform distribution in the near surface below 50 nm. Similar profiles are observed in GaN grown on a sapphire substrate. We conclude that the growth process causes these large concentrations of as-grown traps in the near-surface region. It is speculated that the finishing step in the growth process should be an essential issue in the investigation of the surface state of GaN.

Evalution of the healthiness of winter wheat cultivated in conventional tillage, direct sowing and direct sowing with underplant crop of white clover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Moszczyńska

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Research of the healthiness of winter wheat depending on the soil tillage system and rate of nitrogen fertilization were carried out in 1998-2001. The largest threat to the healthiness of plants was tan spot, which was caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, especially in cropping season 1999/2000. The soil tillage system diversified the intensification of occurence of this pathogen, only in two last years of research. The most infected by P. tritici-i was wheat, which was cultivated in the direct sowing. Application of underplant crop of white clover in the direct sowing contributed to the improvement of the plants healthiness. The highest rate of nitrogen fertilization (120 kg N.ha-1 in the highest degree favoured the damage of wheat by P. tritici-repentis, but only in two first years of research. The second pathogen Blumeria graminis, which caused powdery mildew of cereals, occured in small amount and didn't have any influence on the healthiness of winter wheat.

Effects of toasting blue lupins, soybeans or barley as supplement for high-yielding organic dairy cows fed grass-clover silage ad libitum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Lisbeth; Lund, Peter; Kristensen, Troels

2008-01-01

. The supplement under investigation was: lupins in experiment 1, barley in experiment 2 and soybeans in experiment 3. The same forage mixture of grass-clover silage (84% of DM), grass pellets (11% of DM) and straw (5% of DM) was fed ad libitum in all the experiments. Toasting decreased effective rumen protein...... degradability determined in situ for all three supplements. Compared to untreated lupins toasting of lupins tended (P = 0.10) to increase milk yield, whereas toasting of soybeans did not affect milk yield. Toasting of lupins decreased (P = 0.03) milk protein content (32.2 versus 32.7 g/kg), whereas toasting...... of soybeans did not affect milk protein content. ECM yield was significantly higher (P = 0.002) for cows fed toasted soybeans than for cows fed untreated soybeans (28.1 versus 26.4 kg ECM) whereas there was no significant effect on ECM yield from toasting lupins or barley. It can be concluded...

Seasonal Changes in the Caste Distribution of Foraging Populations of Formosan Subterranean Termite in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornelius, Mary L; Osbrink, Weste L A; Gallatin, Erin M

2015-01-01

This study examined the relationship between temperature, precipitation, soil composition, levels of feeding damage, and the caste distribution (workers, soldiers, nymphs) of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, collected in underground monitoring stations over a 12 mo period. Because nymphs are the caste that develops into alates, the seasonal abundance of nymphs was examined over a 5 yr period. Numbers of workers, soldiers, and soldier/worker ratio were significantly affected by month. Recruitment and retention of foraging termites in stations was significantly affected by the level of feeding damage. The number of nymphs collected in monitoring stations was highly variable. In the 12 mo test, there was a significant correlation between numbers of nymphs and level of feeding damage, temperature, precipitation, and soil composition. Over a 5 yr period, significantly more nymphs were collected in 2011 than in 2007 and 2008. Peak nymph collections varied from year to year. Overall, peak nymph collections were more likely to occur in Mar., Sept., and Oct. Increasing our knowledge of the environmental factors that influence recruitment and retention of foraging termites in monitoring stations could influence termite bait placement and improve baiting strategies for termite control. Identifying the key factors that cause aggregations of nymphs in underground stations could increase our ability to predict the intensity and location of alate swarms. © Crown copyright 2015.

Point defects in ZnO crystals grown by various techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Čížek, J; Vlček, M; Hruška, P; Lukáč, F; Melikhova, O; Anwand, W; Selim, F; Hugenschmidt, Ch; Egger, W

2017-01-01

In the present work point defects in ZnO crystals were characterized by positron lifetime spectroscopy combined with back-diffusion measurement of slow positrons. Defects in ZnO crystals grown by various techniques were compared. Hydrothermally grown ZnO crystals contain defects characterized by lifetime of ≈181 ps. These defects were attributed to Zn vacancies associated with hydrogen. ZnO crystals prepared by other techniques (Bridgman, pressurized melt growth, and seeded chemical vapour transport) exhibit shorter lifetime of ≈165 ps. Positron back-diffusion studies revealed that hydrothermally grown ZnO crystals contain higher density of defects than the crystals grown by other techniques. The lowest concentration of defects was detected in the crystal grown by seeded chemical vapor transport. (paper)

Environmental monitoring near the Macaulay Point and Clover Point marine sewage outfalls at Victoria, British Columbia in 1989 and 1990. Regional data report No. DR 92-14

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colodey, A G; Salmon, R A; Lim, P G

1992-01-01

The marine environment surrounding the Capital Region district (CRD) of British Columbia that includes the City of Victoria has been monitored by municipal, provincial, and federal authorities over the past 20 years to determine the impact of wastewater discharges. This report presents data from limited sampling conducted near the main CRD deep-water outfalls at Clover and Macaulay Points, the Canadian Department of National Defence septic tank outfall off Belmont and Esquimault Lagoon, and reference locations on Constance Bank and Discovery Island. Samples for this study were collected in April and October 1989, and April 1990. Parameters investigated were sediment and biota trace metals, sediment particle size, sediment volatile residues, visual descriptions of sediment, bacterial counts, water conductivity, temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen.

Graphic Grown Up

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ann

2009-01-01

It's no secret that children and YAs are clued in to graphic novels (GNs) and that comics-loving adults are positively giddy that this format is getting the recognition it deserves. Still, there is a whole swath of library card-carrying grown-up readers out there with no idea where to start. Splashy movies such as "300" and "Spider-Man" and their…

Hypocalcemia in ewes after a drought

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsen, J.W.A.; Constable, P.D.; Napthine, D.V.

1986-01-01

A marked increase in the incidence of hypocalcemia of ewes 2 to 6 weeks before lambing was observed in the Western District of Victoria, following the break of the severe 1982/3 drought. A similar observation was made after the 1968 drought. In western Victoria, hypocalcemia is usually seen annually as sporadic cases or in sporadic outbreaks associated with some predisposing stress. After the drought broke in 1983, many farms reported cases of hypocalcemia in ewes. The incidence of hypocalcemia on the 9 farms the authors studied varied from 1 to 8% of all ewes, with some mobs having an incidence of over 10%. Detailed investigation of 9 farms that affected sheep were grazing pasture of unusually low calcium (Ca) content. Near record rains fell after the drought broke in late March 1983 resulting in luxuriant pasture growth with subterranean clover Trifolium subterraneum and capeweed Arctotheca calendula the dominant species. Cases of hypocalcemia commenced in May 1983 reaching a peak in June-July corresponding with flocks' lambing times, and continued into August. Most occurred spontaneously in mature ewes. A few farms experienced many cases during prelambing crutching.

Increased occurrence of pesticide residues on crops grown in protected environments compared to crops grown in open field conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Gina; Halsall, Crispin J; Ukpebor, Justina; Paul, Nigel D; Ridall, Gareth; Wargent, Jason J

2015-01-01

Crops grown under plastic-clad structures or in greenhouses may be prone to an increased frequency of pesticide residue detections and higher concentrations of pesticides relative to equivalent crops grown in the open field. To test this we examined pesticide data for crops selected from the quarterly reports (2004-2009) of the UK's Pesticide Residue Committee. Five comparison crop pairs were identified whereby one crop of each pair was assumed to have been grown primarily under some form of physical protection ('protected') and the other grown primarily in open field conditions ('open'). For each pair, the number of detectable pesticide residues and the proportion of crop samples containing pesticides were statistically compared (n=100 s samples for each crop). The mean concentrations of selected photolabile pesticides were also compared. For the crop pairings of cabbage ('open') vs. lettuce ('protected') and 'berries' ('open') vs. strawberries ('protected') there was a significantly higher number of pesticides and proportion of samples with multiple residues for the protected crops. Statistically higher concentrations of pesticides, including cypermethrin, cyprodinil, fenhexamid, boscalid and iprodione were also found in the protected crops compared to the open crops. The evidence here demonstrates that, in general, the protected crops possess a higher number of detectable pesticides compared to analogous crops grown in the open. This may be due to different pesticide-use regimes, but also due to slower rates of pesticide removal in protected systems. The findings of this study raise implications for pesticide management in protected-crop systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of shading on container-grown flowering dogwoods

Science.gov (United States)

Bare root dogwoods can be successfully grown when transplanted into a container production system. Shade treatments regardless of color or density did have an effect on the plant growth of Cherokee Brave™ and Cherokee Princess dogwood. Plants grown under 50% black and 50% white shade had more heigh...

Landscape genetics in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys "chasiquensis" associated with highly disturbed habitats from the southeastern Pampas region, Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Mora, Matías Sebastián; Mapelli, Fernando J; López, Aldana; Gómez Fernández, María Jimena; Mirol, Patricia M; Kittlein, Marcelo J

2017-12-01

Studies of genetic differentiation in fragmented environments help us to identify those landscape features that most affect gene flow and dispersal patterns. Particularly, the assessment of the relative significance of intrinsic biological and environmental factors affecting the genetic structure of populations becomes crucial. In this work, we assess the current dispersal patterns and population structure of Ctenomys "chasiquensis", a vulnerable and endemic subterranean rodent distributed on a small area in Central Argentina, using 9 polymorphic microsatellite loci. We use landscape genetics approaches to assess the relationship between genetic connectivity among populations and environmental attributes. Our analyses show that populations of C. "chasiquensis" are moderately to highly structured at a regional level. This pattern is most likely the outcome of substantial gene flow on the more homogeneous sand dune habitat of the Northwest of its distributional range, in conjunction with an important degree of isolation of eastern and southwestern populations, where the optimal habitat is surrounded by a highly fragmented landscape. Landscape genetics analysis suggests that habitat quality and longitude were the environmental factors most strongly associated with genetic differentiation/uniqueness of populations. In conclusion, our results indicate an important genetic structure in this species, even at a small spatial scale, suggesting that contemporary habitat fragmentation increases population differentiation.

The Ties That Bind: Midlife Parents' Daily Experiences With Grown Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Fingerman, Karen L; Kim, Kyungmin; Birditt, Kira S; Zarit, Steven H

2016-04-01

Daily pleasant or stressful experiences with grown children may contribute to parental well-being. This diary study focused on midlife parents' ( N = 247) reports regarding grown children for 7 days. Nearly all parents (96%) had contact with a child that week via phone, text, or in person. Nearly all parents shared laughter or enjoyable interactions with grown children during the study week. More than half of parents experienced stressful encounters (e.g., child got on nerves) or stressful thoughts about grown children (e.g., worrying, fretting about a problem). Pleasant and stressful experiences with grown children were associated with parents' positive and negative daily moods. A pleasant experience with a grown child the same day as a stressful experience mitigated effects of those stressful experiences on negative mood, however. The findings have implications for understanding intergenerational ambivalence and stress buffering in this tie.

The Ties That Bind: Midlife Parents’ Daily Experiences With Grown Children

Science.gov (United States)

Fingerman, Karen L.; Kim, Kyungmin; Birditt, Kira S.; Zarit, Steven H.

2015-01-01

Daily pleasant or stressful experiences with grown children may contribute to parental well-being. This diary study focused on midlife parents’ (N = 247) reports regarding grown children for 7 days. Nearly all parents (96%) had contact with a child that week via phone, text, or in person. Nearly all parents shared laughter or enjoyable interactions with grown children during the study week. More than half of parents experienced stressful encounters (e.g., child got on nerves) or stressful thoughts about grown children (e.g., worrying, fretting about a problem). Pleasant and stressful experiences with grown children were associated with parents’ positive and negative daily moods. A pleasant experience with a grown child the same day as a stressful experience mitigated effects of those stressful experiences on negative mood, however. The findings have implications for understanding intergenerational ambivalence and stress buffering in this tie. PMID:27022198

Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of amilaceous maize (Zea mays L. as assessed by pyrosequencing

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David Correa-Galeote

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Maize (Zea mays L. is the staple diet of the native peasants in the Quechua region of the Peruvian Andes who continue growing it in small plots called chacras following ancestral traditions. The abundance and structure of bacterial communities associated with the roots of amilaceous maize has not been studied in Andean chacras. Accordingly, the main objective of this study was to describe the rhizospheric bacterial diversity of amilaceous maize grown either in the presence or the absence of bur clover cultivated in soils from the Quechua maize belt. Three 16S rRNA gene libraries, one corresponding to sequences of bacteria from bulk soil of a chacra maintained under fallow conditions, the second from the rhizosphere of maize-cultivated soils, and the third prepared from rhizospheric soil of maize cultivated in intercropping with bur clover were examined using pyrosequencing tags spanning the V4 and V5 hypervariable regions of the gene. A total of 26031 sequences were found that grouped into 5955 distinct operational taxonomic units which distributed in 309 genera. The numbers of OTUs in the libraries from the maize-cultivated soils were significantly higher than those found in the libraries from bulk soil. One hundred ninety seven genera were found in the bulk soil library and 234 and 203 were in those from the maize and maize/bur clover-cultivated soils. Sixteen out of the 309 genera had a relative abundance higher than 0.5% and the were (in decreasing order of abundance Gp4, Gp6, Flavobacterium, Subdivision3 genera incertae sedis of the Verrucomicrobia phylum, Gemmatimonas, Dechloromonas, Ohtaekwangia, Rhodoferax, Gaiella, Opitutus, Gp7, Spartobacteria genera incertae sedis, Terrimonas, Gp5, Steroidobacter and Parcubacteria genera incertae sedis. Genera Gp4 and Gp6 of the Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonas and Rhodoferax were the most abundant in bulk soil, whereas Flavobacterium, Dechloromonas and Ohtaekwangia were the main genera in the rhizosphere

Tracing the origin of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in subterranean estuaries using colored DOM and amino acids

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, T.; Kwon, E.; Kim, G.

2011-12-01

In order to determine the origin of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the subterranean estuary (STE), the mixing zone of fresh terrestrial groundwater and recirculating seawater in a coastal permeable aquifer, we conducted water sampling from two STEs with different geological settings: (1) Jeju Island beaches (Hwasun and Samyang), which are composed of volcanic rocks and sandy sediments, and (2) Hampyeong beach, which is located in a large intertidal, sandy flat zone. The distributions of salinity, total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and colored DOM (CDOM) were measured for groundwater samples in these STEs. In the Hwasun STE, the humic-like peak decreases with increasing salinity, whereas the protein-like peak does not show a clear relationship with salinity. In contrast, in the Samyang STE, both humic-like peak and protein-like peak increase with increasing salinity. These contrasting results indicate that DOM in the Hwasun STE originates mainly from terrestrial inputs, while that in the Samyang STE originates mainly from biological and/or microbial activities. In the Hampyeong STE, we observed good correlations among the biodegradation index, alanine D/L ratios, THAA concentrations, DOC, and CDOM index (both humic-like and protein-like). Together with their geographical distribution patterns, these correlations indicate that DOM in the Hampyeong STE is mainly derived from marine sediments in the course of seawater recirculation. Our study shows that CDOM and amino acids are excellent tracers of DOM in the STE where DOM is derived from diverse sources.

Mitigating N2O emissions from clover residues by 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) without adverse effects on the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kong, Xianwang; Duan, YunFeng; Schramm, Andreas

2017-01-01

in a 28-d mesocosm experiment, where DMPP spraying prior to tillage was simulated. Above-ground parts of 15N-labelled clover residues were treated with DMPP and either placed at 10 cm depth to simulate ploughing (PL), or mixed with soil at 0–10 cm depth to simulate rotovation (RO). Earthworms (Lumbricus...... terrestris) were introduced to study their role in residue decomposition and N2O emissions. Fluxes and isotopic composition of N2O were determined with dynamic chambers using laser spectroscopy. A gradual increase in 15N-enrichment of N2O indicated that denitrification was the main source. DMPP reduced...... cumulative N2O emissions in PL from 241 to 146 mg N m−2; the reduction in RO was smaller, from 103 to 94 mg N m−2, and not significant, possibly due to higher oxygen and soil NO3− availability. After 28 d incubation, on average > 90% of the earthworms were recovered, and in vivo N2O production from L...

Lattice Calculation of D- and B-meson Semileptonic Decays, using the Clover Action at beta=6.0 on APE

CERN Document Server

Allton, C R; Lubicz, V; Martinelli, G; Rapuano, F; Stella, N; Vladikas, A; Bartoloni, A; Battista, C; Cabasino, S; Cabibbo, Nicola; Panizzi, E; Paolucci, P S; Sarno, R; Todesco, G M; Torelli, M; Vicini, P

1995-01-01

We present the results of a high statistics lattice calculation of hadronic form factors relevant for $D-$ and $B-$meson semi-leptonic decays into light pseudoscalar and vector mesons. The results have been obtained by averaging over 170 gauge field configurations, generated in the quenched approximation, at $\\beta=6.0$, on a $18^3 \\times 64$ lattice, using the $O(a)$-improved SW-Clover action.From the study of the matrix element $$, we obtain $f_+ (0)=0.78\\pm 0.08$ and from the matrix element $$ we obtain $V(0)=1.08\\pm 0.22$, $A_1(0)=0.67\\pm 0.11$ and $A_2(0)=0.49\\pm 0.34$. We also obtain the ratios $V(0)/A_1(0)=1.6\\pm 0.3$ and $A_2(0)/A_1(0)= 0.7\\pm 0.4$. Our predictions for the different form factors are in good agreement with the experimental data, although, in the case of $A_2(0)$, the errors are still too large to draw any firm conclusion. With the help of the Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET) we have also extrapolated the lattice results to $B$-meson decays. The form factors follow a behaviour compat...

Quality and Quantity Evaluations of Shade Grown Forages

Science.gov (United States)

K. P. Ladyman; M. S. Kerley; R. L. Kallenbach; H. E. Garrett; J. W. Van Sambeek; N. E. Navarrete-Tindall

2003-01-01

Seven legumes were grown during the summer-fall of 2000, at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (39? 01 ' N, 92? 46' W) near New Franklin, MO. The forages were grown in 7.5L white pots placed on light-colored gravel either under full sunlight, 45% sunlight, or 20% sunlight created by a shade cloth over a rectangular frame. Drip irrigation was...

Large-area, laterally-grown epitaxial semiconductor layers

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jung; Song, Jie; Chen, Danti

2017-07-18

Structures and methods for confined lateral-guided growth of a large-area semiconductor layer on an insulating layer are described. The semiconductor layer may be formed by heteroepitaxial growth from a selective growth area in a vertically-confined, lateral-growth guiding structure. Lateral-growth guiding structures may be formed in arrays over a region of a substrate, so as to cover a majority of the substrate region with laterally-grown epitaxial semiconductor tiles. Quality regions of low-defect, stress-free GaN may be grown on silicon.

Law Enforcement Efforts to Control Domestically Grown Marijuana.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-05-25

mari- juana grown indoors , the involvement of large criminal organizations, and the patterns of domestic marijuana distribution. In response to a GAO...information is particularly important if the amount of marijuana grown indoors and the number of large-scale cultiva- tion and distribution organizations... marijuana indoors is becoming increasingly popular. A 1982 narcotics assessment by the Western States Information Network (WSIN)2 of marijuana

Shock initiation experiments on ratchet grown PBX 9502

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustavsen, Richard L [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Thompson, Darla G [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Olinger, Barton W [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Deluca, Racci [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Bartram, Brian D [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Pierce, Timothy H [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Sanchez, Nathaniel J [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

This study compares the shock initiation behavior of PBX 9502 pressed to less than nominal density (nominal density is 1.890 {+-} 0.005 g/cm{sup 3}) with PBX 9502 pressed to nominal density and then ''ratchet grown'' to low density. PBX 9502 is an insensitive plastic bonded explosive consisting of 95 weight % dry-aminated tri-amino-tri-nitro-benzene (TATB) and 5 weight % Kel-F 800 plastic binder. ''Ratchet growth'' - an irreversible increase in specific volume - occurs when an explosive based on TATB is temperature cycled. The design of our study is as follows: PBX 9502, all from the same lot, received the following four treatments. Samples in the first group were pressed to less than nominal density. These were not ratchet grown and used as a baseline. Samples in the second group were pressed to nominal density and then ratchet grown by temperature cycling 30 times between -54 C and +80 C. Samples in the final group were pressed to nominal density and cut into 100 mm by 25.4 mm diameter cylinders. During thermal cycling the cylinders were axially constrained by a 100 psi load. Samples for shock initiation experiments were cut perpendicular (disks) and parallel (slabs) to the axial load. The four sample groups can be summarized with the terms pressed low, ratchet grown/no load, axial load/disks, and axial load/slabs. All samples were shock initiated with nearly identical inputs in plate impact experiments carried out on a gas gun. Wave profiles were measured after propagation through 3, 4, 5, and 6 mm of explosive. Side by side comparison of wave profiles from different samples is used as a measure of relative sensitivity. All reduced density samples were more shock sensitive than nominal density PBX 9502. Differences in shock sensitivity between ratchet grown and pressed to low density PBX 9502 were small, but the low density pressings are slightly more sensitive than the ratchet grown samples.

Structural Reliability of the Nigerian Grown Abura Timber Bridge ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Structural reliability analysis was carried out on the Nigerian grown Abura timber, to ascertain its structural performance as timber bridge beams. Samples of the Nigerian grown Abura timber were bought from timber market, seasoned naturally and their structural/strength properties were determined at a moisture content of ...

Yields and quality of forage legumes under imbalanced year precipitation conditions on south Moravia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroslav Lang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, yield and quality of forage following species of forage legumes were evaluated with regard to precipitations: lucerne (Medicago sativa L., red clover (Trifolium pratense L., white clover (Trifolium repens L., kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M., alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum L. and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.. The trial was sown in the spring of 2008, evaluated in the period 2009–2011. Analysis of samples was performed with the apparatus NIRS 6500. Following parameters were evaluated: production of dry matter, energy concentration (NEL, contents of fibre and crude protein. The highest three year yield average was measured for lucerne (15.01 t.ha−1, followed by red clover group (9.3–11.8 t.ha−1. Kura clover gained the lowest yield (1.97 t.ha−1. The average crude protein contents (g.kg−1 were: lucerne 211.47, red clover group (184.3–194.8, white clover group (229.1–238.7 and birdsfoot trefoil (204.2. The obtained results indicated that lucerne responded at best to periods of drought. Although the production of dry matter decreased in periods of drought, the canopy of stands remained to be complete in contradistinction to white clover, which partly disappeared from the stand. Red clover and alsike clover disappeared from the stand during the trial.

Forage yield and nutritive value of Elephant grass, Italian ryegrass and spontaneous growing species mixed with forage peanut or red clover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Schalemberg Diehl

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to evaluate of three grazing systems (GS with elephant grass (EG, Italian ryegrass (IR + spontaneous growing species (SGS; EG + IR + SGS + forage peanut (FP; and EG + IR + SGS + red clover (RC, during the winter and summer periods in rotational grazing with dairy cattle. Experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments, two replicates with repeated measures. Lactating Holstein cows receiving 1% BW-daily feed supplement with concentrate were used in the evaluation. Eight grazing cycles were performed during the experimental period. The values of pre forage mass and stocking rate were 2.52, 2.60 and 2.99 t ha-1 and 2.64, 2.77 and 3.14 animal unit ha-1, respectively for GS. Samples of forage were collected by hand-plucking technique to analyze the crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, in situ dry matter digestibility (ISDMD, in situ organic matter digestibility (ISOMD of forage present between rows of elephant grass, in the rows of elephant grass and the legumes. Higher value of CP, ISOMD and lower of NDF were observed for the grazing systems mixed with legumes forage.

Effects of maturity and harvest season of grass-clover silage and of forage-to-concentrate ratio on milk production of dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Alstrup, L; Søegaard, K; Weisbjerg, M R

2016-01-01

This study examined the effects of maturity and season of harvest of grass-clover silages and forage:concentrate ratio (FCR) on feed intake, milk production, chewing activity, digestibility, and fecal consistency of Holstein dairy cows. Comparison included 2 cuts in spring season (early and late) and 2 cuts in summer season (early and late) combined with high FCR (80:20; HFCR) and low FCR (50:50; LFCR). The experiment included 24 lactating Holstein cows arranged as 2 repeated 4 × 4 Latin squares with four 21-d periods and included measurements of feed composition, feed intake, milk production and composition, chewing activities, digestibilities, and fecal dry matter (DM) concentration and scoring. Forages were fed as two-thirds grass-clover and one-third corn silage supplemented with either 20 or 50% concentrate. Rations were fed ad libitum as total mixed rations. Early maturity cuts were more digestible than late maturity cuts, which was also reflected in a lower concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in early maturity cuts, whereas summer cuts had a higher crude protein concentration than spring cuts. Increased maturity decreased the intake of DM and energy, increased NDF intake, and decreased the yield of energy-corrected milk (ECM). Summer cuts increased the ECM yield compared with spring cuts. Milk yield (kg and kilogram of ECM) was numerically higher for cows fed early summer cut, independent of FCR in the ration. Milk protein concentration decreased, or tended to decrease, with maturity. For LFCR, the milk fat concentration increased with maturity resulting in a decreased protein:fat ratio. At HFCR, increased maturity increased the time spent chewing per kilogram of DM. Digestibility of silages was positively correlated with the fecal DM concentration. The DM intake and ECM yield showed no significant response to FCR in the ration, but the milk composition was affected. The LFCR decreased the milk fat percentage and increased the milk protein

Comparing heavy metal contents in crops receiving mineral fertilisers and animal manure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Bent Tolstrup; Elsgaard, Lars

2014-01-01

Spring barley (grain, straw), grass-clover (two cuts), winter wheat (grain, straw) and silage maize grown in the Askov long-term experiment with different levels (0, ½, 1, 1½, 2) of mineral fertiliser (NPK) and animal manure (AM) had concentrations of As, Pb, Cd and Hg below the EC maximum permis...... of NPK and AM does not pose a threat in terms of feed quality. However, the long-term accumulation of heavy metals added with mineral fertilisers and animal manure is essentially irreversible and may threaten soil quality....... in the analysed metal contents between crops grown with NPK and AM. Crop contents of uranium and thallium were below the analytical detection limits regardless of nutrient source and addition rate. Thus in a farming context similar to that of the Askov experiment, the long-term application of standard rates...

Legumes in Finnish agriculture: history, present status and future prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. L. STODDARD

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Legumes are important in world agriculture, providing biologically fixed nitrogen, breaking cereal disease cycles and contributing locally grown food and feed, including forage. Pea and faba bean were grown by early farmers in Finland, with remains dated to 500 BC. Landraces of pea and faba bean were gradually replaced by better adapted, higher quality materials for food use. While grain legumes have been restricted by their long growing seasons to the south of the country, red, white and alsike clovers are native throughout and have long been used in leys for grazing, hay and silage. Breeding programmes released many cultivars of these crops during the 1900s, particularly pea and red clover. A.I. Virtanen earned the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on both nitrogen fixation and silage preservation. Use of crop mixtures may appear modern, but farmers used them already in the early 1800s, when oat was used to support pea, and much effort has been devoted to improving the system and establishing its other benefits. Although international cultivars have been easily accessible since Finland’s 1995 entry into the European Union, the combination of feed quality and appropriate earliness is still needed, as < 1% of arable land is sown to grain legumes and an increase to 9–10% would allow replacement of imported protein feeds. Climate change will alter the stresses on legume crops, and investment in agronomy, physiology and breeding is needed so that farmers can gain from the many advantages of a legume-supported rotation.;

N₂-fixation and residual N effect of four legume species and four companion grass species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jim; Søegaard, Karen; Pirhofer-Walzl, Karin

2012-01-01

and climatic conditions. We conducted a field experiment on a sandy soil at two nitrogen levels with seven two-species forage mixtures: alfalfa, bird's-foot trefoil, red clover, or white clover in mixture with perennial ryegrass, and white clover in mixture with meadow fescue, timothy, or hybrid ryegrass. We...... found high N2-fixation of more than 300 kg N ha-1 from both red clover and alfalfa even when the two mixtures received 300 kg total-N ha-1 in cattle slurry. The addition of cattle slurry N fertilizer lowered N2-fixation for white clover and red clover as expected, but for bird's-foot trefoil and alfalfa...... no changes in the proportion of N derived from N2-fixation was observed. We conclude that the competition for available soil N from perennial ryegrass in mixture was an important factor for the proportion of N in alfalfa, white clover, and bird's-foot trefoil obtained from N2-fixation. White clover had...

Determining the concentration of individual eruptive events of the CAMP: Distinguishing interflow hiatuses from subterranean alteration and void infilling.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, P. E.; Kent, D. V.; Et-Touhami, M.

2012-04-01

-filled cracks in the flow and spread laterally at its base; 3) footprints of small subterranean animals. Features that could identify a significant temporal hiatus between flows absolutely require being produced at the land surface including: 1) terrestrial animal footprints too big to fit in the void; and 2) features requiring sunlight, such as in situ above-ground parts of plants, a root or possibly soil profiles terminating upward at paleohorizonatal surfaces, and possibly stromatolites. Using the above critera, most interflow and cross-cutting features in the Moroccan and eastern North America CAMP prove to be post-emplacement subterranean void fillings and alteration phenomena. There is a residuum of hiatuses that correspond to previously recognized geochemical boundaries between flow sequences or paleosecular magnetic directional groups. This weeding out of spurious hiatuses magnifies the concentration of eruptive events by reducing the inferred duration by one or two orders of magnitudes. For example the more than 30 or so individual basalt flows of the Argana and Central High Atlas basins of Morocco can be reduced to perhaps as few as 4 giant eruptions each lasting less than a hundred years or so. It is the magnitude of these events not the total volume that is most relevant CAMP kill mechanisms.

Counting molecular-beam grown graphene layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plaut, Annette S. [School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Wurstbauer, Ulrich [Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Pinczuk, Aron [Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Garcia, Jorge M. [MBE Lab, IMM-Instituto de Microelectronica de Madrid (CNM-CSIC), Madrid, E-28760 (Spain); Pfeiffer, Loren N. [Electrical Engineering Department, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544 (United States)

2013-06-17

We have used the ratio of the integrated intensity of graphene's Raman G peak to that of the silicon substrate's first-order optical phonon peak, accurately to determine the number of graphene layers across our molecular-beam (MB) grown graphene films. We find that these results agree well both, with those from our own exfoliated single and few-layer graphene flakes, and with the results of Koh et al.[ACS Nano 5, 269 (2011)]. We hence distinguish regions of single-, bi-, tri-, four-layer, etc., graphene, consecutively, as we scan coarsely across our MB-grown graphene. This is the first, but crucial, step to being able to grow, by such molecular-beam-techniques, a specified number of large-area graphene layers, to order.

Hydraulics and gas exchange recover more rapidly from severe drought stress in small pot-grown grapevines than in field-grown plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Pascual; Botía, Pablo; Keller, Markus

2017-09-01

Modifications of plant hydraulics and shoot resistances (R shoot ) induced by water withholding followed by rewatering, and their relationships with plant water status, leaf gas exchange and water use efficiency at the leaf level, were investigated in pot-grown and field-grown, own-rooted Syrah grapevines in an arid climate. Water stress induced anisohydric behavior, gradually reducing stomatal conductance (g s ) and leaf photosynthesis (A) in response to decreasing midday stem water potential (Ψ s ). Water stress also rapidly increased intrinsic water-use efficiency (A/g s ); this effect persisted for many days after rewatering. Whole-plant (K plant ), canopy (K canopy ), shoot (K shoot ) and leaf (K leaf ) hydraulic conductances decreased during water stress, in tune with the gradual decrease in Ψ s , leaf gas exchange and whole plant water use. Water-stressed vines also had a lower Ψ gradient between stem and leaf (ΔΨ l ), which was correlated with lower leaf transpiration rate (E). E and ΔΨ l increased with increasing vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in non-stressed control vines but not in stressed vines. Perfusion of xylem-mobile dye showed that water flow to petioles and leaves was substantially reduced or even stopped under moderate and severe drought stress. Leaf blade hydraulic resistance accounted for most of the total shoot resistance. However, hydraulic conductance of the whole root system (K root ) was not significantly reduced until water stress became very severe in pot-grown vines. Significant correlations between K plant , K canopy and Ψ s , K canopy and leaf gas exchange, K leaf and Ψ s , and K leaf and A support a link between water supply, leaf water status and gas exchange. Upon re-watering, Ψ s recovered faster than gas exchange and leaf-shoot hydraulics. A gradual recovery of hydraulic functionality of plant organs was also observed, the leaves being the last to recover after rewatering. In pot-grown vines, K canopy recovered rather

Mineral composition of organically grown tomato

Science.gov (United States)

Ghambashidze, Giorgi

2014-05-01

In recent years, consumer concerns on environmental and health issues related to food products have increased and, as a result, the demand for organically grown production has grown. Results indicate that consumers concerned about healthy diet and environmental degradation are the most likely to buy organic food, and are willing to pay a high premium. Therefore, it is important to ensure the quality of the produce, especially for highly consumed products. The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is one of the most widely consumed fresh vegetables in the world. It is also widely used by the food industries as a raw material for the production of derived products such as purees or ketchup. Consequently, many investigations have addressed the impact of plant nutrition on the quality of tomato fruit. The concentrations of minerals (P, Na, K, Ca and Mg) and trace elements (Cu, Zn and Mn) were determined in tomatoes grown organically in East Georgia, Marneuli District. The contents of minerals and Mn seem to be in the range as shown in literature. Cu and Zn were found in considerably high amounts in comparison to maximum permissible values established in Georgia. Some correlations were observed between the minerals and trace elements studied. K and Mg were strongly correlated with Cu and Zn. Statistically significant difference have shown also P, K and Mg based between period of sampling.

76 FR 16323 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Continuance Referendum

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-23

...; FV11-946-1 CR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Continuance Referendum AGENCY: Agricultural... conducted among eligible Washington potato growers to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Washington. DATES: The referendum will be...

Lethal photosensitization of biofilm-grown bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Michael

1997-12-01

Antibacterial agents are increasingly being used for the prophylaxis and treatment of oral diseases. As these agents can be rendered ineffective by resistance development in the target organisms there is a need to develop alternative antimicrobial approaches. Light-activated antimicrobial agents release singlet oxygen and free radicals which can kill adjacent bacteria and a wide range of cariogenic and periodontopathogenic bacteria has been shown to be susceptible to such agents. In the oral cavity these organisms are present as biofilms (dental plaques) which are less susceptible to traditional antimicrobial agents than bacterial suspensions. The results of these studies have shown that biofilm-grown oral bacteria are also susceptible to lethal photosensitization although the light energy doses required are grater than those needed to kill the organisms when they are grown as aqueous suspensions.

VLS-grown diffusion doped ZnO nanowires and their luminescence properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, Pushan Guha; Dutta, Amartya; Das, Arpita; Bhattacharyya, Anirban; Sen, Sayantani; Pramanik, Pallabi

2015-01-01

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanowires were deposited by vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) method on to aluminum doped ZnO (AZO) thin films grown by sol-gel technique. For various device applications, current injection into such nanowires is critical. This is expected to be more efficient for ZnO nanowires deposited on to AZO compared to those deposited on to a foreign substrate such as silicon. In this work we compare the morphological and optical properties of nanowires grown on AZO with those grown under similar conditions on silicon (Si) wafers. For nanowires grown on silicon, diameters around 44 nm with heights around 2.2 μm were obtained. For the growth on to AZO, the diameters were around 90 nm while the heights were around 520 nm. Room temperature photoluminescence (RT-PL) measurements show improved near band-edge emission for nanowires grown on to AZO, indicating higher material quality. This is further established by low temperature photoluminescence (LT-PL) measurements where excitonic transitions with width as small as 14 meV have been obtained at 4 K for such structures. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) studies indicate the presence of Al in the nanowires, indicating a new technique for introduction of dopants into these structures. These results indicate that ZnO nanowires on sol-gel grown AZO thin films show promise in the development of various optoelectronic devices. (paper)

Postnatal ontogeny of limb proportions and functional indices in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Echeverría, Alejandra Isabel; Becerra, Federico; Vassallo, Aldo Iván

2014-08-01

Burrow construction in the subterranean Ctenomys talarum (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) primarily occurs by scratch-digging. In this study, we compared the limbs of an ontogenetic series of C. talarum to identify variation in bony elements related to fossorial habits using a morphometrical and biomechanical approach. Diameters and functional lengths of long bones were measured and 10 functional indices were constructed. We found that limb proportions of C. talarum undergo significant changes throughout postnatal ontogeny, and no significant differences between sexes were observed. Five of six forelimb indices and two of four hindlimb indices showed differences between ages. According to discriminant analysis, the indices that contributed most to discrimination among age groups were robustness of the humerus and ulna, relative epicondylar width, crural and brachial indices, and index of fossorial ability (IFA). Particularly, pups could be differentiated from juveniles and adults by more robust humeri and ulnae, wider epicondyles, longer middle limb elements, and a proportionally shorter olecranon. Greater robustness indicated a possible compensation for lower bone stiffness while wider epicondyles may be associated to improved effective forces in those muscles that originate onto them, compensating the lower muscular development. The gradual increase in the IFA suggested a gradual enhancement in the scratch-digging performance due to an improvement in the mechanical advantage of forearm extensors. Middle limb indices were higher in pups than in juveniles-adults, reflecting relatively more gracile limbs in their middle segments, which is in accordance with their incipient fossorial ability. In sum, our results show that in C. talarum some scratch-digging adaptations are already present during early postnatal ontogeny, which suggests that they are prenatally shaped, and other traits develop progressively. The role of early digging behavior as a factor influencing on

Tidal pumping drives nutrient and dissolved organic matter dynamics in a Gulf of Mexico subterranean estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Isaac R.; Burnett, William C.; Dittmar, Thorsten; Suryaputra, I. G. N. A.; Chanton, Jeffrey

2009-03-01

We hypothesize that nutrient cycling in a Gulf of Mexico subterranean estuary (STE) is fueled by oxygen and labile organic matter supplied by tidal pumping of seawater into the coastal aquifer. We estimate nutrient production rates using the standard estuarine model and a non-steady-state box model, separate nutrient fluxes associated with fresh and saline submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), and estimate offshore fluxes from radium isotope distributions. The results indicate a large variability in nutrient concentrations over tidal and seasonal time scales. At high tide, nutrient concentrations in shallow beach groundwater were low as a result of dilution caused by seawater recirculation. During ebb tide, the concentrations increased until they reached a maximum just before the next high tide. The dominant form of nitrogen was dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in freshwater, nitrate in brackish waters, and ammonium in saline waters. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production was two-fold higher in the summer than in the winter, while nitrate and DON production were one order of magnitude higher. Oxic remineralization and denitrification most likely explain these patterns. Even though fresh SGD accounted for only ˜5% of total volumetric additions, it was an important pathway of nutrients as a result of biogeochemical inputs in the mixing zone. Fresh SGD transported ˜25% of DOC and ˜50% of total dissolved nitrogen inputs into the coastal ocean, with the remainder associated with a one-dimensional vertical seawater exchange process. While SGD volumetric inputs are similar seasonally, changes in the biogeochemical conditions of this coastal plain STE led to higher summertime SGD nutrient fluxes (40% higher for DOC and 60% higher for nitrogen in the summer compared to the winter). We suggest that coastal primary production and nutrient dynamics in the STE are linked.

Adaptation of pelage color and pigment variations in Israeli subterranean blind mole rats, Spalax ehrenbergi [corrected].

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natarajan Singaravelan

Full Text Available Concealing coloration in rodents is well established. However, only a few studies examined how soil color, pelage color, hair-melanin content, and genetics (i.e., the causal chain synergize to configure it. This study investigates the causal chain of dorsal coloration in Israeli subterranean blind mole rats, Spalax ehrenbergi.We examined pelage coloration of 128 adult animals from 11 populations belonging to four species of Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies (Spalax galili, Spalax golani, Spalax carmeli, and Spalax judaei and the corresponding coloration of soil samples from the collection sites using a digital colorimeter. Additionally, we quantified hair-melanin contents of 67 animals using HPLC and sequenced the MC1R gene in 68 individuals from all four mole rat species.Due to high variability of soil colors, the correlation between soil and pelage color coordinates was weak and significant only between soil hue and pelage lightness. Multiple stepwise forward regression revealed that soil lightness was significantly associated with all pelage color variables. Pelage color lightness among the four species increased with the higher southward aridity in accordance to Gloger's rule (darker in humid habitats and lighter in arid habitats. Darker and lighter pelage colors are associated with darker basalt and terra rossa, and lighter rendzina soils, respectively. Despite soil lightness varying significantly, pelage lightness and eumelanin converged among populations living in similar soil types. Partial sequencing of the MC1R gene identified three allelic variants, two of which were predominant in northern species (S. galili and S. golani, and the third was exclusive to southern species (S. carmeli and S. judaei, which might have caused the differences found in pheomelanin/eumelanin ratio.Darker dorsal pelage in darker basalt and terra rossa soils in the north and lighter pelage in rendzina and loess soils in the south reflect the combined results of

Single layer porous gold films grown at different temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Renyun; Hummelgard, Magnus; Olin, Hakan

2010-01-01

Large area porous gold films can be used in several areas including electrochemical electrodes, as an essential component in sensors, or as a conducting material in electronics. Here, we report on evaporation induced crystal growth of large area porous gold films at 20, 40 and 60 deg. C. The gold films were grown on liquid surface at 20 deg. C, while the films were grown on the wall of beakers when temperature increased to 40 and 60 deg. C. The porous gold films consisted of a dense network of gold nanowires as characterized by TEM and SEM. TEM diffraction results indicated that higher temperature formed larger crystallites of gold wires. An in situ TEM imaging of the coalescence of gold nanoparticles mimicked the process of the growth of these porous films, and a plotting of the coalescence time and the neck radius showed a diffusion process. The densities of these gold films were also characterized by transmittance, and the results showed film grown at 20 deg. C had the highest density, while the film grown at 60 deg. C had the lowest consistent with SEM and TEM characterization. Electrical measurements of these gold films showed that the most conductive films were the ones grown at 40 deg. C. The conductivities of the gold films were related to the amount of contamination, density and the diameter of the gold nanowires in the films. In addition, a gold film/gold nanoparticle hybrid was made, which showed a 10% decrease in transmittance during hybridization, pointing to applications as chemical and biological sensors.

Cambios en el pelaje del roedor subterráneo Ctenomys talarum: posible mecanismo térmico compensatorio Fur changes in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum: possible thermal compensatory mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ANA P CUTRERA

2004-06-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se evaluaron los cambios en densidad y longitud del pelaje dorsal y ventral en el roedor subterráneo Ctenomys talarum, como posible mecanismo compensatorio frente a cambios de temperatura estacionales en el ambiente de la cueva, en especial durante la época estival, y durante el período de preñez en las hembras, ya que ambas etapas representan desafíos para la termorregulación en esta especie. Se observó que el pelaje ventral fue significativamente más corto y menos denso que el dorsal en machos, hembras preñadas y hembras no preñadas en las dos estaciones evaluadas. La longitud del pelaje tanto dorsal como ventral en los tres grupos fue significativamente menor durante la estación de temperaturas más cálidas. En la estación cálida, las hembras preñadas exhibieron un pelaje ventral significativamente más corto que el pelaje ventral de machos y de hembras no preñadas. Se discuten las posibles ventajas térmicas que podrían representar las modificaciones observadas en las características del pelaje de esta especie, con énfasis en las restricciones que impone el ambiente subterráneo en cuanto a los mecanismos disponibles de disipación del calor corporalIn this work, the changes in fur density and length in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum were evaluated as a possible compensatory mechanism during seasonal temperature changes in their burrow environment and during pregnancy in females, both situations being thermoregulatory challenging in this species. The ventral fur was shorter and less dense than the dorsal fur in the three groups (males, non-pregnant females and pregnant females and in the two seasons evaluated. Ventral and dorsal furs were significantly shorter during the warm seasons in the three groups. In the warm season, pregnant females had a ventral fur significantly shorter than that of males and non-pregnant females. The possible thermal advantages that the observed fur changes might

Leaf anatomy of genotypes of banana plant grown under coloured ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of spectral light quality on different anatomical features of banana tree plantlets grown under coloured shade nets. Banana plants of five genotypes obtained from micropropagation, were grown under white, blue, red and black nets, with shade of 50%, in a completely randomized ...

Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans grown on ethanol stillage as a nitrogen source.

Science.gov (United States)

West, T P; Strohfus, B

1996-01-01

Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans strain RP-1 using thin stillage from fuel ethanol production as a nitrogen source was studied in a medium using corn syrup as a carbon source. The use of 1% thin stillage as a nitrogen source instead of ammonium sulphate elevated polysaccharide production by strain RP-1 cells when grown on a concentration of up to 7.5% corn syrup, independent of yeast extract supplementation. Dry weights of cells grown in medium containing ammonium sulphate as the nitrogen source were higher than the stillage-grown cells after 7 days of growth. The viscosity of the polysaccharide on day 7 was higher for cells grown on thin stillage rather than ammonium sulphate as a nitrogen source. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide elaborated by ammonium sulphate-grown cells on day 7 was higher than the pullulan content of polysaccharide produced by stillage-grown cells regardless of whether yeast extract was added to the culture medium.

Heteroepitaxially grown InP solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weinberg, I.; Swartz, C.K.; Brinker, D.J.; Wilt, D.M.

1990-01-01

Although they are significantly more radiation resistant than either Si or GaAs solar cells, their high wafer cost presents a barrier to the widespread use of InP solar cells in space. For this reason, the authors have initiated a program aimed at producing high efficiency, radiation resistant solar cells processed from InP heteroepitaxially grown on cheaper substrates. The authors' objective is to present the most recent results emanating from this program together with the results of their initial proton irradiations on these cells. This paper reports that InP cells were processed from a 4 micron layer of InP, grown by OMCVD on a silicon substrate, with a 0.5 micron buffer layer between the InP directly grown on a GaAs substrate. Initial feasibility studies, in a Lewis sponsored program at the Spire corporation, resulted in air mass zero efficiencies of 7.1% for the former cells and 9.1% for the latter. These initial low efficiencies are attributed to the high dislocation densities caused by lattice mismatch. The authors' preirradiation analysis indicates extremely low minority carrier diffusion lengths, in both cell base and emitter, and high values of both the diffusion and recombination components of the diode reverse saturation currents. Irradiation by 10 MeV protons, to a fluence of 10 13 cm -2 , resulted in relatively low degradation in cell efficiency, short circuit current and open circuit voltage

Element distribution of the barley plant grown in an agar slice suspended culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makino-Nakanishi, Tomoko; Matsumoto, Satoshi

1991-01-01

An agar slice suspended culture was devised for the further study of the barley root. The roots were placed into an agar covered with a nylon cloth and suspended in a water culture vessel. Barley roots grown in the agar developed hardly any root hair. The element contents of the root grown in the agar culture and that in the water culture were measured by neutron activation analysis. The concentrations of K, Mg and Cl in the root grown in the agar were about half of these grown in the water. Na and Mn concentrations were the same and Ca concentration was slightly higher when grown in the agar. The agar system is expected to provide more information to study the root hair. (author)

Response of container-grown flowering dogwood cultivars to sun/shade production regime, 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, ‘Cherokee Brave™’ and ‘Cherokee Princess’ were grown in #5 nursery containers in an amended 100% bark substrate. Treatments were assigned based on exposure time to a full sun/shade condition during the growing season: 1) plants grown in full sun, 2) plants grown in...

Study on grown-in defects in CZ-Si by positron annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, S.; Hori, F.; Oshima, R.

2004-01-01

In order to study the nature of grown-in microdefects of a silicon wafer taken from a czochralski-grown single crystal (CZ-Si) in which ring oxidation-induced stacking faults (ring-OSF) are formed after oxidation heat treatment, positron annihilation coincidence Doppler broadening experiments (CDB) have been performed. Vacancy-type defects were detected in the central region of a wafer of an as-grown crystal, and they were changed with annealing. It was confirmed that different types of defects were formed in the regions of outside and inside of the ring-OSF. (orig.)

Characterization of GaN/AlGaN epitaxial layers grown

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

GaN and AlGaN epitaxial layers are grown by a metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) system. The crystalline quality of these epitaxially grown layers is studied by different characterization techniques. PL measurements indicate band edge emission peak at 363.8 nm and 312 nm for GaN and AlGaN layers ...

Leaf chemical composition of twenty-one Populus hybrid clones grown under intensive culture

Science.gov (United States)

Richard E. Dickson; Philip R. Larson

1976-01-01

Leaf material from 21 nursery-grown Populus hybrid clones was analyzed for three nitrogen fractions (total N, soluble protein, and soluble amino acids) and three carbhydrate fractions (reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, and total nonstructural carbohydrates-TNC). In addition, nursery-grown green ash and silver maple, field-grown bigtooth and trembling aspen, and...

High Statistics Analysis using Anisotropic Clover Lattices: (IV) The Volume Dependence of the Light Hadron Masses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beane, S R; Detmold, W; Lin, H W; Luu, T C; Orginos, K; Parreno, A; Savage, M J; Torok, A; Walker-Loud, A

2011-07-01

The volume dependence of the octet baryon masses and relations among them are explored with Lattice QCD. Calculations are performed with nf = 2 + 1 clover fermion discretization in four lattice volumes, with spatial extent L ? 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 4.0 fm, with an anisotropic lattice spacing of b_s ? 0.123 fm in the spatial direction, and b_t = b_s/3.5 in the time direction, and at a pion mass of m_\\pi ? 390 MeV. The typical precision of the ground-state baryon mass determination is

InN-based layers grown by modified HVPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syrkin, A.; Usikov, A.; Soukhoveev, V.; Kovalenkov, O.; Ivantsov, V.; Dmitriev, V.; Collins, C.; Readinger, E.; Shmidt, N.; Davydov, V.; Nikishin, S.; Kuryatkov, V.; Song, D.; Rosenbladt, D.; Holtz, Mark

2006-01-01

This paper contains results on InN and InGaN growth by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) on various substrates including sapphire and GaN/sapphire, AlGaN/sapphire, and AlN/sapphire templates. The growth processes are carried out at atmospheric pressure in a hot wall reactor in the temperature range from 500 to 750 and ordm;C. Continuous InN layers are grown on GaN/sapphire template substrates. Textured InN layers are deposited on AlN/sapphire and AlGaN/sapphire templates. Arrays of nano-crystalline InN rods with various shapes are grown directly on sapphire substrates. X-ray diffraction rocking curves for the (002)InN reflection have the full width at half maximum (FWHM) as narrow as 270 arcsec for the nano-rods and 460 arcsec for the continuous layers. In x Ga 1-x N layers with InN content up to 10 mol.% are grown on GaN/sapphire templates. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTITUMOR, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND PHENOLIC CONSTITUENTS OF FIELD-GROWN AND IN VITRO-GROWN LYSIMACHIA VULGARIS L.

Science.gov (United States)

Yildirim, Arzu Birinci; Guner, Birgul; Karakas, Fatma Pehlivan; Turker, Arzu Ucar

2017-01-01

Lysimachia vulgaris L. (Yellow loosestrife) is a medicinal plant in the family Myrsinaceae. It has been used in the treatment of fever, ulcer, diarrhea and wounds in folk medicine. It has also analgesic, expectorant, astringent and anti-inflammatory activities. Two different sources of the plant (field-grown and in vitro -grown) were used to evaluate the biological activities (antibacterial, antitumor and antioxidant) of L. vulgaris. In vitro-grown plant materials were collected from L. vulgaris plants that were previously regenerated in our laboratory. Plant materials were extracted with water, ethanol and acetone. For antibacterial test, disc diffusion method and 10 different pathogenic bacteria were used. Antioxidant activity was indicated by using DPPH method. The total phenol amount by using Folin-Ciocaltaeu method and the total flavonoid amount by using aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ) colorimetric method were determined. Generally, yellow loosestrife extracts demonstrated antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes) . Strong antitumor activity of yellow loosestrife was observed via potato disc diffusion bioassay. Nine different phenolics were also determined and compared by using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Future investigations should be focused on fractionation of the extracts to identify active components for biological activity.

Zn-vacancy related defects in ZnO grown by pulsed laser deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, F. C. C.; Luo, C. Q.; Wang, Z. L.; Anwand, W.; Wagner, A.

2017-02-01

Undoped and Ga-doped ZnO (002) films were grown c-sapphire using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. Znvacancy related defects in the films were studied by different positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). These included Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS) employing a continuous monenergetic positron beam, and positron lifetime spectroscopy using a pulsed monoenergetic positron beam attached to an electron linear accelerator. Two kinds of Znvacancy related defects namely a monovacancy and a divacancy were identified in the films. In as-grown undoped samples grown with relatively low oxygen pressure P(O2)≤1.3 Pa, monovacancy is the dominant Zn-vacancy related defect. Annealing these samples at 900 oC induced Zn out-diffusion into the substrate and converted the monovacancy to divacancy. For the undoped samples grown with high P(O2)=5 Pa irrespective of the annealing temperature and the as-grown degenerate Ga-doped sample (n=1020 cm-3), divacancy is the dominant Zn-vacancy related defect. The clustering of vacancy will be discussed.

Estimating the population size and colony boundary of subterranean termites by using the density functions of directionally averaged capture probability.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Nan-Yao; Lee, Sang-Hee

2008-04-01

Marked termites were released in a linear-connected foraging arena, and the spatial heterogeneity of their capture probabilities was averaged for both directions at distance r from release point to obtain a symmetrical distribution, from which the density function of directionally averaged capture probability P(x) was derived. We hypothesized that as marked termites move into the population and given sufficient time, the directionally averaged capture probability may reach an equilibrium P(e) over the distance r and thus satisfy the equal mixing assumption of the mark-recapture protocol. The equilibrium capture probability P(e) was used to estimate the population size N. The hypothesis was tested in a 50-m extended foraging arena to simulate the distance factor of field colonies of subterranean termites. Over the 42-d test period, the density functions of directionally averaged capture probability P(x) exhibited four phases: exponential decline phase, linear decline phase, equilibrium phase, and postequilibrium phase. The equilibrium capture probability P(e), derived as the intercept of the linear regression during the equilibrium phase, correctly projected N estimates that were not significantly different from the known number of workers in the arena. Because the area beneath the probability density function is a constant (50% in this study), preequilibrium regression parameters and P(e) were used to estimate the population boundary distance 1, which is the distance between the release point and the boundary beyond which the population is absent.

Polarity and microstructure in InN thin layers grown by MOVPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuwano, N.; Nakahara, Y.; Amano, H.

2006-01-01

Microstructures in InN grown on sapphire (0001) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (111) by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) were analyzed by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to clarify the growth process. Special attention was paid to the selectivity of the crystal polarity of InN. The InN thin films grown on sapphire after nitridation has a flat surface while those grown on YSZ has hillocks on the surface. The crystal polarity was determined by comparing the experimentally observed intensity distribution in convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) disks with those simulated by the Broch-wave method. It was found that the InN grown on the sapphire has a nitrogen-polarity and the one on YSZ has a mixture of In- and N-polarities. The effect of surface-nitridation of sapphire on the growth process is also discussed (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Crop residues as driver for N2O emissions from a sandy loam soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pugesgaard, Siri; Petersen, Søren O.; Chirinda, Ngonidzashe

2017-01-01

-term experiment on a loamy sand soil at Foulum in Denmark. All cropping systems included winter wheat, a leguminous crop (faba bean or grass-clover), potato and spring barley grown in different 4-crop rotations varying in strategies for N supply (fertilizer/manure type and rate, use of catch crops and green......-N leaching losses ranged from 39 to 56 kg N ha−1 y−1 and were lowest in rotations with catch crops; leaching was not correlated with N surplus or N input in fertilizer or manure. Crop yields of the organic rotations were 25 to 37% lower than in identical conventional rotations. As a consequence, yield...

Caste-, sex-, and age-dependent expression of immune-related genes in a Japanese subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus.

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Yuki Mitaka

Full Text Available Insects protect themselves from microbial infections through innate immune responses, including pathogen recognition, phagocytosis, the activation of proteolytic cascades, and the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides. Termites, eusocial insects inhabiting microbe-rich wood, live in closely-related family groups that are susceptible to shared pathogen infections. To resist pathogenic infection, termite families have evolved diverse immune adaptations at both individual and societal levels, and a strategy of trade-offs between reproduction and immunity has been suggested. Although termite immune-inducible genes have been identified, few studies have investigated the differential expression of these genes between reproductive and neuter castes, and between sexes in each caste. In this study, we compared the expression levels of immune-related genes among castes, sexes, and ages in a Japanese subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus. Using RNA-seq, we found 197 immune-related genes, including 40 pattern recognition proteins, 97 signalling proteins, 60 effectors. Among these genes, 174 showed differential expression among castes. Comparing expression levels between males and females in each caste, we found sexually dimorphic expression of immune-related genes not only in reproductive castes, but also in neuter castes. Moreover, we identified age-related differential expression of 162 genes in male and/or female reproductives. In addition, although R. speratus is known to use the antibacterial peptide C-type lysozyme as an egg recognition pheromone, we determined that R. speratus has not only C-type, but also P-type and I-type lysozymes, as well as other termite species. Our transcriptomic analyses revealed immune response plasticity among all castes, and sex-biased expression of immune genes even in neuter castes, suggesting a sexual division of labor in the immune system of R. speratus. This study heightens the understanding of the evolution of

All-MOCVD-grown BH laser on P-InP substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimura, Tadashi; Ishimura, E.; Nakajima, Yasuo; Tada, Hitoshi; Kimura, T.; Ohkura, Y.; Goto, Katsuhiko; Omura, Etsuji; Aiga, Masao

1993-07-01

A very low cw threshold current of 2.5 mA ( 25 degree(s)C) and 8.0 mA ( 80 degree(s)C) with high reliability has been realized in the all-MOCVD grown BH lasers on p-InP substrates. A strained MQW active layer of 1.3 micrometers wavelength and the precise carrier confinement buried structure by MOCVD is employed for the BH lasers. The excellent potential of long lifetime of the all-MOCVD grown laser has also been confirmed. After the high temperature and the high current (100 degree(s)C, 200 mA) aging test, no significant degradation is observed which is comparable with the well-established LPE grown lasers. The BH laser is also operating stably over 3700 hrs under the APC condition of 50 degree(s)C, 10 mW. Finally, an extremely uniform 10-element all-MOCVD grown LD array is demonstrated, which has the threshold current uniformity of 2.4 +/- 0.1 mA ( 25 degree(s)C) and 9.2 +/- 0.2 mA ( 80 degree(s)C). The growth mechanism in the MOCVD is also described.

78 FR 28118 - Vidalia Onions Grown in Georgia; Change in Reporting and Assessment Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-14

... onion producers in the designated production area. Small agricultural service firms, which include...; FV13-955-1 IR] Vidalia Onions Grown in Georgia; Change in Reporting and Assessment Requirements AGENCY... Vidalia onions grown in Georgia (order). The order regulates the handling of Vidalia onions grown in...

Determination of region-specific data of yield and quality of alternatives to silage maize in fodder crops – field trails with forage gras and clover grass mixtures, Sorghum as well as whole plant silage of grain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wosnitza, Andrea

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This project should generate current regional results over a period of three years about the parameter yield and quality of alternative fodder crops to maize; this includes grass and clover grass mixtures, silage maize, varieties of Sorghum/millets and whole plant silages of wheat, rye and triticale. The tested silage maize showed the highest and most reliable average dry matter yield with 23 tons per hectare, with a very low variance. The Sorghum and millet varieties had dry matter yields of 3 to 5 tons per hectare below the silage maize yield but with individual values fluctuating in a broad range within years and locations. With values far below 28% the dry matter contents were not suitable for ensiling. The grass and clover grass mixtures are good, stable and established alternatives to maize for silage. They achieved high yields comparable with these of Sorghum but stable and with a highly suitable dry matter content for ensiling. The yield of the whole plant silages was up to 22% lower compared with maize. So none of the alternative crops can compete with the high level yield of silage maize in its favoured region, therefore would be a combination of two crops recommended. But some individual locally adapted mixtures or varieties of the alternative crops reached nearly 80% of the maize yield. Silage maize showed the highest level of the net energy content for lactation (NEL, followed by the values of the fodder crops and the whole plant silages. The Sorghum varieties showed the lowest NEL value of all tested cultures. The highest crude protein showed the fodder crops contents. Silage maize, Sorghum and the whole plant silages had values lying nearly around the 50% mark of the fodder crops.

Characterization of potassium bromide crystals grown in the aqueous solution of picric acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maheswari, J. Uma, E-mail: umak.anand@gmail.com [Department of Physics, The M.D.T.Hindu College, Tirunelveli 627010, Tamilnadu (India); Krishnan, C. [Department of Physics, Arignar Anna College, Aralvoymoli 629301, Tamilnadu (India); Kalyanaraman, S. [Physics Research Centre, Sri Paramakalyani College, Alwarkurichi 627412, Tamilnadu (India); Selvarajan, P. [Department of Physics, Aditanar College of Arts and Science, Tiruchendur 628216, Tamilnadu (India)

2016-12-01

Potassium bromide crystals were grown in the aqueous solution of picric acid by slow evaporation technique at room temperature. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis ensures that the grown sample is in Fm3m space group and FCC structure. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) reveals the presence of elements in the title compound. UV–Vis-NIR spectrum reveals that the grown sample is a promising nonlinear optical (NLO) material. FTIR analysis confirms the functional groups present in the sample. The thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermogravimetric (DTA) analyses ensure that the sample material is thermally stable up to 160 °C. The second harmonic efficiency of the sample is 1.3 times greater than that of standard KDP. The mechanical strength of the grown sample is estimated by Vickers microhardness tester. The electrical properties were investigated by impedance analysis and the results of various studies of the grown crystals are discussed.

The potential of subterranean microbes in facilitating actinide migration at the Grimsel test site and waste isolation pilot plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillow, J.B.; Dunn, M.; Francis, A.J.; Lucero, D.A.; Papenguth, H.W.

2000-01-01

Microorganisms may affect the long-term stability and mobility of radionuclides disposed of in deep geological formations. Of particular concern is the association of radionuclides with subterranean microbial cells and their subsequent transport as biocolloids. We characterized the total microbial populations in two groundwater samples: one from the Culebra dolomite member of the Rustler formation at the waste isolation pilot plant (WIPP), NM, and the other from the granitic formation at the Grimsel test site (GTS), Switzerland. Culebra groundwater (ionic strength 2.8 M, pH 7) contained 1.51 ± 1.08 x 10 5 cells ml -1 , with a mean cell length of 0.75 ± 0.04 μm and width of 0.58 ± 0.02 μm. In contrast, low ionic-strength GTS groundwater (0.001 M, pH 10) contained 3.97 ± 0.37 x 10 3 cells ml -1 , with a mean cell length of 1.50 ± 0.14 μm and width of 0.37 ± 0.01 μm. Adding appropriate electron donors and acceptors to the groundwaters facilitated the growth of aerobic, denitrifying, fermentative, and acetogenic microorganisms. Uranium biosorption was studied in two isolates from these groundwaters, as well as several pure cultures from saline and non-saline environments. Halophilic and non-halophilic bacteria exhibited differences in the amount of U associated with the cells. Plutonium uptake by Acetobacterium sp. isolated from GTS varied from 30-145 pg of Pu mg -1 dry weight of cells. (orig.)

Colony social organization and population genetic structure of an introduced population of formosan subterranean termite from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Husseneder, Claudia; Messenger, Matthew T; Su, Nan-Yao; Grace, J Kenneth; Vargo, Edward L

2005-10-01

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is an invasive species in many parts of the world, including the U.S. mainland. The reasons for its invasive success may have to do with the flexible social and spatial organization of colonies. We investigated the population and breeding structure of 14 C. formosanus colonies in Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans, LA. This population has been the focus of extensive study for many years, providing the opportunity to relate aspects of colony breeding structure to previous findings on colony characteristics such as body weight and number of workers, wood consumption, and intercolony aggression. Eight colonies were headed by a single pair of outbred reproductives (simple families), whereas six colonies were headed by low numbers of multiple kings and/or queens that were likely the neotenic descendants of the original colony (extended families). Within the foraging area of one large extended family colony, we found genetic differentiation among different collection sites, suggesting the presence of separate reproductive centers. No significant difference between simple family colonies and extended family colonies was found in worker body weight, soldier body weight, foraging area, population size, or wood consumption. However, level of inbreeding within colonies was negatively correlated with worker body weight and positively correlated with wood consumption. Also, genetic distance between colonies was positively correlated with aggression levels, suggesting a genetic basis to nestmate discrimination cues in this termite population. No obvious trait associated with colony reproductive structure was found that could account for the invasion success of this species.

29 CFR 780.505 - Definition of “shade-grown tobacco.”

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Employment or Agricultural Employees in Processing Shade-Grown Tobacco; Exemption From Minimum Wage and... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Definition of âshade-grown tobacco.â 780.505 Section 780.505 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR...

Acceptor Type Vacancy Complexes In As-Grown ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubiaga, A.; Tuomisto, F.; Zuniga-Perez, J.

2010-01-01

One of the many technological areas that ZnO is interesting for is the construction of opto-electronic devices working in the blue-UV range as its large band gap (∼3.4 eV at 10 K) makes them suitable for that purpose. As-grown ZnO shows generally n-type conductivity partially due to the large concentration of unintentional shallow donors, like H, but impurities can also form complexes with acceptor type defects (Zn vacancy) leading to the creation of compensating defects. Recently, Li Zn and Na Zn acceptors have been measured and H could form similar type of defects. Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation spectroscopy experimental results on the observation of Zn related vacancy complexes in ZnO thin films, as-grown, O implanted and Al doped will be presented. Results show that as-grown ZnO film show small Zn vacancy related complexed that could be related to presence of H as a unintentional doping element.

Acceptor Type Vacancy Complexes In As-Grown ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Zubiaga, A.; Tuomisto, F.; Zuñiga-Pérez, J.

2010-11-01

One of the many technological areas that ZnO is interesting for is the construction of opto-electronic devices working in the blue-UV range as its large band gap (˜3.4 eV at 10 K) makes them suitable for that purpose. As-grown ZnO shows generally n-type conductivity partially due to the large concentration of unintentional shallow donors, like H, but impurities can also form complexes with acceptor type defects (Zn vacancy) leading to the creation of compensating defects. Recently, LiZn and NaZn acceptors have been measured and H could form similar type of defects. Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation spectroscopy experimental results on the observation of Zn related vacancy complexes in ZnO thin films, as-grown, O implanted and Al doped will be presented. Results show that as-grown ZnO film show small Zn vacancy related complexed that could be related to presence of H as a unintentional doping element.

The effect of different levels of fertilizer on nitrogen nutrient of pasture using 15N-isotope dilution method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Dongpu; Bai Lingyu; Hua Luo; Yao Yunyin

2000-01-01

A pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of different levels of fertilizer on N% of ryegrass in monoculture or mixed culture with white clover and symbiotic dinitrogen fixation of white clover by using 15 N-isotope dilution method. It showed that (1) N% of ryegrass in monoculture or mixed culture was the highest at 67 days after fertilizing (DAF) and decreased with time; (2) N% of white clover was the greatest at 67 DAF, slightly decreased at 92 DAF, and then increased at 137 DAF, related to the increasing of nitrogen fixation by white clover; (3) At 164 kg 15 NH 4 SO 4 /hm 2 , N% of ryegrass in mixed culture at different cutting time was greater than that in monoculture. It obviously occurred that fixed nitrogen was transferred from white clover to ryegrass in mixed; (4) During the whole growth period, the main nitrogen resource of white clover was symbiotic dinitrogen fixation and that of ryegrass was soil nitrogen; (5) Effect of different levels of applied N on N% of ryegrass and white clover was significant

Rutile TiO2 thin films grown by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agnarsson, B.; Magnus, F.; Tryggvason, T.K.; Ingason, A.S.; Leosson, K.; Olafsson, S.; Gudmundsson, J.T.

2013-01-01

Thin TiO 2 films were grown on Si(001) substrates by reactive dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) at temperatures ranging from 300 to 700 °C. Optical and structural properties of films were compared both before and after post-annealing using scanning electron microscopy, low angle X-ray reflection (XRR), grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Both dcMS- and HiPIMS-grown films reveal polycrystalline rutile TiO 2 , even prior to post-annealing. The HiPIMS-grown films exhibit significantly larger grains compared to that of dcMC-grown films, approaching 100% of the film thickness for films grown at 700 °C. In addition, the XRR surface roughness of HiPIMS-grown films was significantly lower than that of dcMS-grown films over the whole temperature range 300–700 °C. Dispersion curves could only be obtained for the HiPIMS-grown films, which were shown to have a refractive index in the range of 2.7–2.85 at 500 nm. The results show that thin, rutile TiO 2 films, with high refractive index, can be obtained by HiPIMS at relatively low growth temperatures, without post-annealing. Furthermore, these films are smoother and show better optical characteristics than their dcMS-grown counterparts. - Highlights: • We demonstrate growth of rutile TiO 2 on Si (111) by high power impulse magnetron sputtering. • The films exhibit significantly larger grains than dc magnetron sputtered films • TiO 2 films with high refractive index are obtained without post-growth annealing

Spectral quality affects disease development of three pathogens on hydroponically grown plants

Science.gov (United States)

Schuerger, A. C.; Brown, C. S.; Sager, J. C. (Principal Investigator)

1997-01-01

Plants were grown under light-emitting diode (LED) arrays with various spectra to determine the effects of light quality on the development of diseases caused by tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) on pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), powdery mildew [Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schlectend:Fr.) Pollaci] on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum Smith) on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). One LED (660) array supplied 99% red light at 660 nm (25 nm bandwidth at half-peak height) and 1% far-red light between 700 to 800 nm. A second LED (660/735) array supplied 83% red light at 660 nm and 17% far-red light at 735 nm (25 nm bandwidth at half-peak height). A third LED (660/BF) array supplied 98% red light at 660 nm, 1% blue light (BF) between 350 to 550 nm, and 1% far-red light between 700 to 800 nm. Control plants were grown under broad-spectrum metal halide (MH) lamps. Plants were grown at a mean photon flux (300 to 800 nm) of 330 micromoles m-2 s-1 under a 12-h day/night photoperiod. Spectral quality affected each pathosystem differently. In the ToMV/pepper pathosystem, disease symptoms developed slower and were less severe in plants grown under light sources that contained blue and UV-A wavelengths (MH and 660/BF treatments) compared to plants grown under light sources that lacked blue and UV-A wavelengths (660 and 660/735 LED arrays). In contrast, the number of colonies per leaf was highest and the mean colony diameters of S. fuliginea on cucumber plants were largest on leaves grown under the MH lamp (highest amount of blue and UV-A light) and least on leaves grown under the 660 LED array (no blue or UV-A light). The addition of far-red irradiation to the primary light source in the 660/735 LED array increased the colony counts per leaf in the S. fuliginea/cucumber pathosystem compared to the red-only (660) LED array. In the P. solanacearum/tomato pathosystem, disease symptoms were less severe in plants grown under the 660 LED array, but the

Arrowleaf Clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi: A New Species of Annual Legumes for High Rainfall Areas of the Mediterranean Climate Zone of Chile Trébol Vesiculoso (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi: Una Nueva Especie de Leguminosa Anual para Áreas de Alta Precipitación en la Zona Mediterránea de Chile

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Carlos Ovalle M

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The present review examines the main attributes and agronomic characteristics of arrowleaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi and its incorporation into production systems in dryland areas of the Andean foothills of the humid Mediterranean climate zone of Chile. It is a new species of annual legume in Chile for light and medium textured soils. The root system can reach a depth of 1.5 m and its seeds have a high percentage of hardseedness (99.8%. It is an upright plant, with purplish-white flowers. The mature plant has large arrow-shaped leaves up to 50 mm long, often marked with a large white “V”. Dry matter and seed production in the Andean foothills is high (3.9-8.8 t DM ha-1 and 700-900 kg ha-1, respectively, surpassing the productivity of sub clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. cv. Mount Barker and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.. However, DM production in the second year was lower, possibly because the high percentage of hardseedness inhibited plant emergence. The phenological records and productive performance suggest that arrowleaf clover could contribute to improving pastoral production in dryland areas with annual rainfall levels of more than 800 mm, such as the Andean foothills in the central-southern region of Chile.En la presente revisión se examinan los principales atributos y características agronómicas del trébol vesiculoso (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi y su eventual incorporación a sistemas de producción en la precordillera andina de la zona de clima mediterráneo húmedo de Chile. Se trata de una nueva especie de leguminosa forrajera anual para suelos de textura liviana y media. El sistema radical puede alcanzar 1,5 m de profundidad y las semillas tienen un alto porcentaje de dureza seminal (99,8%. Es una planta de crecimiento erecto, flores de color blanco con una leve coloración púrpura. Las plantas adultas tienen grandes hojas con forma de flecha de más de 50 mm de largo, a menudo muestran una marca blanca en

and the quality of silage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liisa Syrjälä-Qvist

1984-09-01

Full Text Available Five silages having different proportions of red clover and timothy (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100 were preserved in five glass-fibre silos of 0.4 m 3. Chopped red clover and timothy were mixed during ensiling and preserved with AIV II solution (80 % formic acid and 2 % orthophosphoric acid, applied at the rate of 6 l/1000kg fresh material. The timothy sward was fertilized with 100kg N/ha and the red clover with 15kg N/ha. The dry matter content in red clover was 14.5 % and in timothy 18.6%, and the crude protein content of DM 22.9 % and 11.5 %, respectively. True protein formed 75—76 % of crude protein in both herbages and the proportion of watersoluble N in total N was 32 % in red clover and 36 % in timothy. The rumen degradability of protein during the first two hours was under 10 % in both herbages; after 18 and 24h ours it was 76 % and 87 % in red clover, and 65 % and 70 % in timothy. In red clover the contents of lysine, methionine and cysteine were 5.7 g, 0.4 g and 0.9 g/16 g N, respectively, the corresponding values for timothy being 4.8 g, 0.7 g and 1.4g/16 g N. In red clover the content of water-soluble carbohydrates was 10.6 % of DM and in timothy 16.5 %; the contents of plant acids were 6.7 % and 3.5 % of DM, respectively. Red clover contained 10.9g Ca/kg DM and timothy 3.1 g Ca. The total amount of inorganic constituents was also higher in red clover than in timothy. Although the chemical composition of red clover was less suitable for ensiling than the composition of timothy, the quality of all the silages was good. During ensiling the decrease in the proportion of true protein in crude protein and the increase in the proportion of watersoluble N in total N were smaller in red clover than in timothy silage. These changes were reflected in the ruminal protein degradation, which seemed to be slower when they were small. The amino acid profile of the protein did not alter during ensiling. The ensiling losses were higher in

Fast-grown CdS quantum dots: Single-source precursor approach vs microwave route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fregnaux, Mathieu [Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique: Approche Multi-échelles des Milieux Complexes, Institut Jean Barriol, Université de Lorraine, 1 Boulevard Arago, 57070 Metz (France); Dalmasso, Stéphane, E-mail: stephane.dalmasso@univ-lorraine.fr [Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique: Approche Multi-échelles des Milieux Complexes, Institut Jean Barriol, Université de Lorraine, 1 Boulevard Arago, 57070 Metz (France); Durand, Pierrick [Laboratoire de Cristallographie, Résonance Magnétique et Modélisations, Institut Jean Barriol, Université de Lorraine, UMR CNRS 7036, Faculté des Sciences, BP 70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre lès Nancy (France); Zhang, Yudong [Laboratoire d' Etude des Microstructures et de Mécanique des Matériaux, Université de Lorraine, UMR CNRS 7239, Ile du Saulcy, 57045 Metz cedex 01 (France); Gaumet, Jean-Jacques; Laurenti, Jean-Pierre [Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique: Approche Multi-échelles des Milieux Complexes, Institut Jean Barriol, Université de Lorraine, 1 Boulevard Arago, 57070 Metz (France)

2013-10-01

A cross-disciplinary protocol of characterization by joint techniques enables one to closely compare chemical and physical properties of CdS quantum dots (QDs) grown by single source precursor methodology (SSPM) or by microwave synthetic route (MWSR). The results are discussed in relation with the synthesis protocols. The QD average sizes, reproducible as a function of the temperatures involved in the growth processes, range complementarily in 2.8–4.5 nm and 4.5–5.2 nm for SSPM and MWSR, respectively. Hexagonal and cubic structures after X-ray diffraction on SSPM and MWSR grown CdS QDs, respectively, are tentatively correlated to a better crystalline quality of the latter with respect to the further ones, suggested by (i) a remarkable stability of the MWSR grown QDs after exposure to air during several days and (ii) no evidence of their fragmentation during mass spectrometry (MS) analyses, after a fair agreement between size dispersities obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and MS, in contrast with the discrepancy found for the SSPM grown QDs. Correlatively, a better optical quality is suggested for the MWSR grown QDs by the resolution of n > 1 excitonic transitions in their absorption spectra. The QD average sizes obtained by TEM and deduced from MS are in overall agreement. This agreement is improved for the MWSR grown QDs, taking into account a prolate shape of the QDs also observed in the TEM images. For both series of samples, the excitonic responses vs the average sizes are consistent with the commonly admitted empirical energy-size correspondence. A low energy PL band is observed in the case of the SSPM grown QDs. Its decrease in intensity with QD size increase suggests a surface origin tentatively attributed to S vacancies. In the case of the MWSR grown QDs, the absence of this PL is tentatively correlated to an absence of S vacancies and therefore to the stable behavior observed when the QDs are exposed to air. - Highlights: • Single

Fabrication of in-situ grown graphene reinforced Cu matrix composites

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yakun; Zhang, Xiang; Liu, Enzuo; He, Chunnian; Shi, Chunsheng; Li, Jiajun; Nash, Philip; Zhao, Naiqin

2016-01-01

Graphene/Cu composites were fabricated through a graphene in-situ grown approach, which involved ball-milling of Cu powders with PMMA as solid carbon source, in-situ growth of graphene on flaky Cu powders and vacuum hot-press sintering. SEM and TEM characterization results indicated that graphene in-situ grown on Cu powders guaranteed a homogeneous dispersion and a good combination between graphene and Cu matrix, as well as the intact structure of graphene, which was beneficial to its strengthening effect. The yield strength of 244 MPa and tensile strength of 274 MPa were achieved in the composite with 0.95 wt.% graphene, which were separately 177% and 27.4% enhancement over pure Cu. Strengthening effect of in-situ grown graphene in the matrix was contributed to load transfer and dislocation strengthening. PMID:26763313

Lack of divergence in seed ecology of two Amphicarpaea (Fabaceae) species disjunct between eastern Asia and eastern North America.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Keliang; Baskin, Jerry M; Baskin, Carol C; Yang, Xuejun; Huang, Zhenying

2015-06-01

Many congeneric species are disjunct between eastern Asia and eastern North America. No previous study has compared the seed biology of closely related disjunct taxa of legumes or of a diaspore-heteromorphic species. Our objective was to compare seed dormancy in two such sister species in the genus Amphicarpaea (Fabaceae). We investigated the ecology and ecophysiology of aerial and subterranean seeds of the amphicarpic species Amphicarpaea edgeworthii from China and compared the results to those published for its sister species A. bracteata from eastern North America. The seed coat of aerial seeds of A. edgeworthii is well developed, whereas the seed coat of subterranean seeds is not. Aerial seeds have combinational dormancy (physical dormancy [PY] + physiological dormancy [PD]) broken by scarification followed by cold stratification or by after-ripening and scarification; whereas subterranean seeds have PD broken by cold stratification. Aerial seeds formed a persistent soil seed bank, and subterranean seeds a transient soil seed bank. Aerial seeds of A. bracteata also have PY+PD and subterranean seeds PD. Subterranean seeds of both species are desiccation intolerant. Dormancy in neither aerial nor subterranean seeds of both species has diverged over geological time. Compared to subterranean seeds, aerial seeds of both species dispersed over longer distances. Seed dispersal ability and degree of dormancy of neither species fits the high-risk/low-risk (H-H/L-L) strategy found in many diaspore-dimorphic species. Rather, both species have an H-L/L-H strategy for these two life history traits. © 2015 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Effect Of Bird Manure On Cotton Plants Grown On Soils Sampled ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cotton plant had a better development and growth when bird manure was only applied to soil or combined with mineral fertilizer and when cotton was grown on a soil where the previous crops were cereals (maize or sorghum). Planting cotton on a soil where the previous crop grown was maize or sorghum had no significant ...

InN layers grown by the HVPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syrkin, A.L.; Ivantsov, V.; Usikov, A.; Dmitriev, V.A.; Chambard, G.; Ruterana, P.; Davydov, A.V.; Sundaresan, S.G.; Lutsenko, E.; Mudryi, A.V.; Readinger, E.D.; Chern-Metcalfe, G.D.; Wraback, M.

2008-01-01

We report on the properties of high quality HVPE InN and on successful subsequent MBE growth of InN layers with improved characteristics on HVPE InN template substrates. InN layers were grown by HVPE on GaN/sapphire HVPE templates. The (00.2) XRD rocking curve of the best InN layer (RC) had the FWHM of about 375 arc sec, being the narrowest XRD RCs ever reported for HVPE InN. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) revealed that at the GaN/InN interface, the threading dislocations that come from GaN were transmitted into the InN layer. We estimated the dislocation density in HVPE grown InN to be in the low 10 9 cm -2 range. Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) confirmed monocrystalline structure of the InN layers surface. Layers photoluminescence (PL) showed edge emission around 0.8 eV. Hall measured free electron concentration was in the range of 10 19 -10 20 cm -3 and electron mobility was ∝200 cm 2 /V s. MBE growth of InN was performed on the HVPE grown InN template substrate demonstrating the improvement of material quality in the case of homo-epitaxial growth of InN. Demonstration of the high quality HVPE InN materials opens a new way for InN substrate development. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Photoemission electronic states of epitaxially grown magnetite films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zalecki, R.; Kolodziejczyk, A.; Korecki, J.; Spiridis, N.; Zajac, M.; Kozlowski, A.; Kakol, Z.; Antolak, D.

2007-01-01

The valence band photoemission spectra of epitaxially grown 300 A single crystalline magnetite films were measured by the angle-resolved ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (ARUPS) at 300 K. The samples were grown either on MgO(0 0 1) (B termination) or on (0 0 1) Fe (iron-rich A termination), thus intentionally presenting different surface stoichiometry, i.e. also different surface electronic states. Four main features of the electron photoemission at about -1.0, -3.0, -5.5 and -10.0 eV below a chemical potential show systematic differences for two terminations; this difference depends on the electron outgoing angle. Our studies confirm sensitivity of angle resolved PES technique on subtleties of surface states

Nucleoli from growing oocytes support the development of enucleolated full-grown oocytes in the pig.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyogoku, Hirohisa; Ogushi, Sugako; Miyano, Takashi

2010-02-01

Recent research has shown that the maternal nucleolus is essential for embryonic development. The morphology of the nucleolus in growing oocytes differs from that in full-grown oocytes. We determined the ability of nucleoli from growing oocytes to substitute for nucleoli of full-grown oocytes in terms of supporting embryonic development in this study. Growing (around 100 microm in diameter) and full-grown porcine oocytes (120 microm) were collected from small (0.6-1.0 mm) and large antral follicles (4-5 mm), respectively. The nucleolus was aspirated from full-grown oocytes by micromanipulation, and the resulting enucleolated oocytes were matured to metaphase II; the nucleoli originating from full-grown and growing oocytes were then injected into the oocytes. The Chromatin of growing oocytes was aspirated with the nucleolus during the enucleolation process. Growing oocytes were thus treated with actinomycin D to release the chromatin from their nucleoli, and the nucleoli were collected and transferred to the enucleolated and matured full-grown oocytes. After activation by electro-stimulation, nucleoli were formed in pronuclei of sham-operated oocytes. Enucleolated oocytes that had been injected with nucleoli from either full-grown or growing, however, did not form any nucleoli in the pronuclei. No enucleolated oocytes developed to blastocysts, whereas enucleolated oocytes injected with nucleoli from full-grown oocytes (15%) or growing oocytes (18%) developed to blastocysts. These results indicate that the nucleoli from growing oocytes can substitute for nucleoli from full-grown oocytes during early embryonic development. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Study of grown-in and radiation-induced defects in indium phosphide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaban, E.H.

1986-01-01

This research is focused on (1) conducting detailed theoretical and experimental study of grown-in and radiation-induced defects in liquid encapsulated Czohralski (LEC) grown, Zn-doped P-type indium phosphide (InP), (2) identifying the physical origin of the defects detected using Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) method, and (3) and developing a second-order model to interpret the presence of nonexponential capacitance transients in DLTS method. Analysis of grown-in and radiation-induced defects in P-type InP is undertaken. The main research results are summarized as follows: (1) DLTS analysis of grown-in defects in liquid LEC-grown, Zn-doped, P-type InP is made in this study. A single-hole trap of E/sub v/ + 0.52 eV is detected with a trap density of 1.8 x 10 15 cm -3 . The physical origin of this hole trap is attributed to a phosphorus vacancy or phosphorus interstitial-related defect. (2) One-MeV electron-irradiated P-type InP introduced two new hole traps, namely E/sub v/ + 0.34 and E/sub v/ + 0.58 eV with introduction rates (dN/sub T/d phi) of 0.4 and 1.2 per electron-cm, respectively. (3) A theoretical model is developed to interpret nonexponential capacitance transients in a deep-level transient spectroscopy method when the capture process competes with the dominant thermal-emission process

Leaching of dissolved organic and inorganic nitrogen from legume-based grasslands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusliene, Gedrime; Eriksen, Jørgen; Rasmussen, Jim

2015-01-01

Leaching of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is a considerable loss pathway in grassland soils. We investigated the white clover (Trifolium repens) contribution to N transport and temporal N dynamics under a pure stand of white clover and white clover...

Using Plants for the Bioremediation (Phyto-remediation) of Chromium-Contaminated Soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Sabour, M.F.; Al-Salama, Y.J.

2003-01-01

A trial was made to study the use of hyper accumulator plant species to extract Cr out of contaminated soils. Three soils (A,B, and C) were selected in this experiment, Soil A: Polluted soil from El-Gabal El-Asfer farm. (subjected to sewage effluent irrigation for more than 75 years). Soil B: Polluted soil from Bahtem area (subjected to sewage effluent irrigation for more than 30 years). Soil C: Polluted soil from Mostorud area (irrigated with contaminated water for more than 30 years due to direct discharge of industrial wastewater to irrigation water canals). Four Kg of each air-dried surface soil sample (0-20 cm) were packed in plastic containers in three replicates. Four plant species tested in this study namely, Sorghum (Sorghum Vulgar L.), Clover (Trifolium Pretense L.), Panikum (Panicum antidotal) and Canola (Brassica Napous.); were grown on each tested soil in a complete randomized block experimental design. Plant shoots were harvested every 60 days (three cuts) for sorghum, clover and panikum. In case of canola plants, the shoots were harvested after 60 days (vegetative stage) and 85 days(fruiting stage). The roots of all species were collected after the final cut. Initial and final soil samples were taken for Cr analyses using neutron activation analyses technique (NAA)

Avaliação do potencial de produção de sementes de acessos de trevo branco Evaluation of the seed production potential of white clover accessions

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Rodrigo Ramos Lopes

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar o potencial de produção de sementes de 25 acessos da coleção básica de trevo-branco provenientes do Departamento de Agricultura dos Estados Unidos. Por meio de amostragens semanais realizadas entre 6/11/2003 e 10/3/2004, foram avaliadas as seguintes variáveis: número de inflorescências/planta, número de flores/inflorescência, número de inflorescências maduras/planta, número de legumes maduros/inflorescência, peso de mil sementes e rendimento de sementes/planta. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o completamente casualizado, com os acessos arranjados individualmente em cinco repetições. O rendimento de sementes em trevo-branco é altamente influenciado pelo número de inflorescências por planta, pelo número de inflorescências maduras por planta e pelo peso de mil sementes. Os acessos 53, 2 e 20 destacam-se pela superioridade em relação aos demais (7, 68, 19, 79, 58, 3, 15, 75, 64, 50, 33, 13, 59, 38, 28, 80, 54, 29, 31, 23, 22, 27, 65 e 73 na produção de sementes. Os acessos 27, 65 e 73 não produzem sementes nas condições locais durante o primeiro ano de avaliação.This work was carried out to evaluate the potential of seed production of 25 accessions of the basic collection of white clover from the United States Department of Agriculture. Through weekly samplings performed from 11/6th/2003 to 3/10th/04 the following variables were analyzed: number of inflorescence/plant, number of flowers/inflorescence, number of mature inflorescence/plant, number of mature legumes/inflorescence, weight of 1000 seeds, and seed yield/plant. It was used a complete randomized experimental design with the accessions individually arranged in five replications. Seed yield of white clover is highly affected by number of inflorescence/plant, number of mature inflorescence/plant, and weight of 1000 seeds. The 53, 2 and 20 accessions differ from the others because of their superiority

EFFECTIVENESS OF A SUPERFICIAL TREATMENT USING BIFENTHRIN TO PROTECT RADIATA PINE FRAMING FROM DAMAGE BY SUBTERRANEAN AND DRYWOOD TERMITES IN INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paimin Sukartana

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Various experimental testing procedures were undertaken in Indonesia to determine the effectiveness of a patented superficial (envelope treatment using bifenthrin to protect radiata pine framing material from damage by two species of subterranean termites (Macrotermes gilvus and Coptotermes curvignathus and one species of drywood termite (Cryptotermes cynocephalus. Lengths of framing material (Pinus radiata sapwood were commercially treated to the targeted retention of 0.02% m/m of bifenthrin in the outer 2 mm depth penetration zone of the material. The treated and untreated materials were subsequently cut into test specimens and exposed to M. gilvus in the field and a semi-laboratory trial, to C. curvignathus in the laboratory and a semi-laboratory trial and to C. cynocephalus in a laboratory trial. No supplementary treatment was performed on the exposed cut ends of the treated test specimens. The results from the trials clearly demonstrated that the superficial treatment of bifenthrin seemed effective in protecting test specimens of radiata pine framing material from significant damage by Indonesia’s most notorious termite species that often causes serious economic loss to the timbers. Termites were unable to damage any of the bifenthrin-treated surfaces of test specimens. Any obser ved damage by termites, albeit minor, was in all cases confined to the exposed cut ends of test specimens. In contrast, attack by termites on the untreated control test specimens caused damage of the samples ranging from light to heavy.

Characterization of Si(100) homoepitaxy grown in the STM at low temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grube, H. (Holger); Brown, G. W. (Geoffrey W.); Pomeroy, J. M. (Joshua M.); Hawley, M. E. (Marilyn E.)

2002-01-01

We explore the growth of low-temperature bulk-like Si(100) homoepitaxy with regard to microscopic surface roughness and defects We characterize films grown at different temperatures up to 500K in-situ by means of an effusion cell added to our UHVSTM. The development of novel architectures for future generation computers calls for high-quality homoepitaxial (WOO) grown at low temperature. Even though Si(100) can be grown crystalline up to a limited thickness: the microstructure reveals significant small-scale surface roughness and defects specific to low-temperature growth. Both can he detrimental to fabrication and operation of small-scale electronic devices.

Investigation of ZnTe thin films grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotlyarchuk, B.; Savchuk, V.

2007-01-01

This paper is devoted to optimization of the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) growth condition of ZnTe films on various substrates and subsequent investigation of relevant parameters of growth process, structural, optical and electrical properties of grown films. Studies of the effect of growth parameters on the structural quality and properties of grown films were carried out. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the ZnTe films, which have been deposited at optimal substrate temperatures, were characterized by a (111) preferred orientation with large average grain size. The optical transmission and reflectance in the energy range 1.5-5.5 eV for films grown at various substrate temperatures were measured. We calculated the variation in the absorption coefficient with the photon energy from the transmittance spectrum for samples grown at various substrate temperatures. Obtained data were analyzed and the value of the absorption coefficient, for allowed direct transitions, has been determined as a function of photon energy. We found that the undoped ZnTe films, which were grown by the PLD method, are typically p-type and possess resistivity in the range of 10 3 Ωcm at room temperature. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Phytochemical phenolics in organically grown vegetables.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Janice E; Zhao, Xin; Carey, Edward E; Welti, Ruth; Yang, Shie-Shien; Wang, Weiqun

2005-12-01

Fruit and vegetable intake is inversely correlated with risks for several chronic diseases in humans. Phytochemicals, and in particular, phenolic compounds, present in plant foods may be partly responsible for these health benefits through a variety of mechanisms. Since environmental factors play a role in a plant's production of secondary metabolites, it was hypothesized that an organic agricultural production system would increase phenolic levels. Cultivars of leaf lettuce, collards, and pac choi were grown either on organically certified plots or on adjacent conventional plots. Nine prominent phenolic agents were quantified by HPLC, including phenolic acids (e. g. caffeic acid and gallic acid) and aglycone or glycoside flavonoids (e. g. apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, and quercetin). Statistically, we did not find significant higher levels of phenolic agents in lettuce and collard samples grown organically. The total phenolic content of organic pac choi samples as measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, however, was significantly higher than conventional samples (p lettuce and collards, the organic system provided an increased opportunity for insect attack, resulting in a higher level of total phenolic agents in pac choi.

Violaxanthin is an abscisic acid precursor in water-stressed dark-grown bean leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yi; Walton, D.C.

1990-01-01

The leaves a dark-grown bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seedlings accumulate considerably lower quantities of xanthophylls and carotenes than do leaves of light-grown seedlings, but they synthesize at least comparable amounts of abscisic acid (ABA) and its metabolites when water stressed. We observed a 1:1 relationship on a molar basis between the reduction in levels of ciolaxanthin, 9'-cis-neoxanthin, and 9-cis-violaxanthin and the accumulation of ABA, phaseic acid, and dihydrophaseic acid, when leaves from dark-grown plants were stressed for 7 hours. Early in the stress period, reductions in xanthophylls were greater than the accumulation of ABA and its metabolites, suggesting the accumulation of an intermediate which was subsequently converted to ABA. Leaves which were detached, but no stressed, did not accumulate ABA nor were their xanthophyll levels reduced. Leaves from plants that had been sprayed with cycloheximido did not accumulate ABA when stressed, nor were their xanthophyll levels reduced significantly. Incubation of dark-grown stressed leaves in an 18 O 2 -containing atmosphere resulted in the synthesis of ABA with levels of 18 O in the carboxyl group that were virtually identical to those observed in light-grown leaves. The results of these experiments indicate that violaxanthin is an ABA precursor in stressed dark-grown leaves, and they are used to suggest several possible pathways from violaxanthin to ABA

Violaxanthin is an abscisic acid precursor in water-stressed dark-grown bean leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yi; Walton, D.C. (State Univ. of New York, Syracuse (USA))

1990-03-01

The leaves a dark-grown bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seedlings accumulate considerably lower quantities of xanthophylls and carotenes than do leaves of light-grown seedlings, but they synthesize at least comparable amounts of abscisic acid (ABA) and its metabolites when water stressed. We observed a 1:1 relationship on a molar basis between the reduction in levels of ciolaxanthin, 9{prime}-cis-neoxanthin, and 9-cis-violaxanthin and the accumulation of ABA, phaseic acid, and dihydrophaseic acid, when leaves from dark-grown plants were stressed for 7 hours. Early in the stress period, reductions in xanthophylls were greater than the accumulation of ABA and its metabolites, suggesting the accumulation of an intermediate which was subsequently converted to ABA. Leaves which were detached, but no stressed, did not accumulate ABA nor were their xanthophyll levels reduced. Leaves from plants that had been sprayed with cycloheximido did not accumulate ABA when stressed, nor were their xanthophyll levels reduced significantly. Incubation of dark-grown stressed leaves in an {sup 18}O{sub 2}-containing atmosphere resulted in the synthesis of ABA with levels of {sup 18}O in the carboxyl group that were virtually identical to those observed in light-grown leaves. The results of these experiments indicate that violaxanthin is an ABA precursor in stressed dark-grown leaves, and they are used to suggest several possible pathways from violaxanthin to ABA.

TEM EDS analysis of epitaxially-grown self-assembled indium islands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasmine Sears

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Epitaxially-grown self-assembled indium nanostructures, or islands, show promise as nanoantennas. The elemental composition and internal structure of indium islands grown on gallium arsenide are explored using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS. Several sizes of islands are examined, with larger islands exhibiting high (>94% average indium purity and smaller islands containing inhomogeneous gallium and arsenic contamination. These results enable more accurate predictions of indium nanoantenna behavior as a function of growth parameters.

High-quality GaN nanowires grown on Si and porous silicon by thermal evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shekari, L., E-mail: lsg09_phy089@student.usm.my [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia); Ramizy, A.; Omar, K.; Hassan, H. Abu; Hassan, Z. [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia)

2012-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new kind of substrate (porous silicon) was used. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Also this research introduces an easy and safe method to grow high quality GaN NWs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This is a new growth process to decrease the cost, complexity of growth of GaN NWs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is a controllable method to synthesize GaN NWs by thermal evaporation. - Abstract: Nanowires (NWs) of GaN thin films were prepared on as-grown Si (1 1 1) and porous silicon (PS) substrates using thermal evaporation method. The film growth produced high-quality wurtzite GaN NWs. The size, morphology, and nanostructures of the crystals were investigated through scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The NWs grown on porous silicon were thinner, longer and denser compared with those on as-grown Si. The energy band gap of the NWs grown on PS was larger than that of NWs on as-grown Si. This is due to the greater quantum confinement effects of the crystalline structure of the NWs grown on PS.

Quantification of the growth response of light quantity of greenhouse grown crops

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcelis, L.F.M.; Broekhuijsen, A.G.M.; Nijs, E.M.F.M.; Raaphorst, M.G.M.

2006-01-01

Growers have often assumed that a 1% increment in light results in a 1% yield increase. In this study, this rule of thumb has been evaluated for a number of greenhouse grown crops: fruit vegetables (cucumber, tomato, sweet pepper), soil grown vegetables (lettuce, radish), cut flowers (rose,

Influence of Si-doping on heteroepitaxially grown a-plane GaN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wieneke, Matthias; Bastek, Barbara; Noltemeyer, Martin; Hempel, Thomas; Rohrbeck, Antje; Witte, Hartmut; Veit, Peter; Blaesing, Juergen; Dadgar, Armin; Christen, Juergen; Krost, Alois [Otto-von-Guericke-Universitaet Magdeburg, FNW/IEP, Universitaetsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg (Germany)

2011-07-01

Si-doped a-plane GaN samples with nominal doping levels up to 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3} were grown on r-plane sapphire by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. Silane flow rates higher than 59 nmol/min lead to three dimensional grown crystallites as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. High resolution X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence suggest considerably reduced defect densities in the large micrometer-sized GaN crystallites. Especially, transmission electron microscopy images verify a very low density of basal plane stacking faults less than 10{sup 4} cm{sup -1} in these crystallites consisting of heteroepitaxially grown a-plane GaN. In our presentation the influence of the Si doping on the basal plane stacking faults will be discussed.

Translational genomics from model species Medicago truncatula to crop legume Trifolium pratense

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lang Chunting, Chunting

2012-01-01

The legume Trifolium pratense (red clover) is an important fodder crop and produces important secondary metabolites. This makes red clover an interesting species. In this thesis, the red clover genome is compared to the legume model species Medicago truncatula, of which the

InGaAs Quantum Well Grown on High-Index Surfaces for Superluminescent Diode Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Jiang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The morphological and optical properties of In0.2Ga0.8As/GaAs quantum wells grown on various substrates are investigated for possible application to superluminescent diodes. The In0.2Ga0.8As/GaAs quantum wells are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (100, (210, (311, and (731 substrates. A broad photoluminescence emission peak (~950 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM of 48 nm is obtained from the sample grown on (210 substrate at room temperature, which is over four times wider than the quantum well simultaneously grown on (100 substrate. On the other hand, a very narrow photoluminescence spectrum is observed from the sample grown on (311 with FWHM = 7.8 nm. The results presented in this article demonstrate the potential of high-index GaAs substrates for superluminescent diode applications.

Postharvest evaluation of soilless-grown table grape during storage in modified atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Cefola, Maria; Pace, Bernardo; Buttaro, Donato; Santamaria, Pietro; Serio, Francesco

2011-09-01

Soilless growth systems, developed mainly for vegetables and ornamental crops, have also been used recently as an alternative to soil culture for table grape in order to achieve optimal production performance. In this study, sensory, physical and chemical parameters were analysed in table grapes obtained from soil and soilless growth systems at harvest and during storage in air or modified atmosphere. At harvest, soilless-grown berries were 30% firmer than those grown in soil. Moreover, they showed 60% higher antioxidant activity and total phenol content than soil-grown fruits. Modified atmosphere storage resulted in a better quality of table grapes compared with those stored in air. Furthermore, soilless growth was more suitable than soil growth for preserving visual quality and controlling rachis browning and weight loss. Since the soilless system produces berries that are cleaner and of higher quality than those grown in soil, the implementation of soilless growth for the production of health-promoting and convenience fruits is suggested. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of caste on the expression of genes associated with septic injury and xenobiotic exposure in the Formosan subterranean termite.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Husseneder

Full Text Available As social insects, termites live in densely populated colonies with specialized castes under conditions conducive to microbial growth and transmission. Furthermore, termites are exposed to xenobiotics in soil and their lignocellulose diet. Therefore, termites are valuable models for studying gene expression involved in response to septic injury, immunity and detoxification in relation to caste membership. In this study, workers and soldiers of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, were challenged by bacterial injection or by no-choice feeding with a sublethal concentration (0.5% of phenobarbital. Constitutive and induced expression of six putative immune response genes (two encoding for lectin-like proteins, one for a ficolin-precursor, one for the Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule, one for a chitin binding protein, and one for the gram-negative binding protein 2 and four putative detoxification genes (two encoding for cytochrome P450s, one for glutathione S-transferase, and one for the multi antimicrobial extrusion protein, were measured via quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and compared within and among 1 colonies, 2 treatment types and 3 castes via ANOVA. Eight genes were inducible by septic injury, feeding with phenobarbital or both. Colony origin had no effect on inducibility or differential gene expression. However, treatment type showed significant effects on the expression of the eight inducible genes. Caste effects on expression levels were significant in five of the eight inducible genes with constitutive and induced expression of most target genes being higher in workers than in soldiers.

CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARD ORGANICALLY GROWN LETTUCE

OpenAIRE

Wolf, Marianne McGarry; Johnson, Bradey; Cochran, Kerry; Hamilton, Lynn L.

2002-01-01

This research shows that approximately 29 percent of lettuce purchases in California expect to purchase an organically grown lettuce product in the future. Organic lettuce purchasers are more likely to be female, have a higher household income and a higher level of education. Consumers are concerned with the freshness, quality, price, and environmental impact of the lettuce they purchase.

29 CFR 780.506 - Dependence of exemption on shade-grown tobacco operations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Dependence of exemption on shade-grown tobacco operations. 780.506 Section 780.506 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION....506 Dependence of exemption on shade-grown tobacco operations. The exemption provided by section 13(a...

Proximate composition of CELSS crops grown in NASA's Biomass Production Chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, R. M.; Mackowiak, C. L.; Sager, J. C.; Knott, W. M.; Berry, W. L.

Edible biomass from four crops of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), four crops of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), four crops of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), and three crops of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) grown in NASA's CELSS Biomass Production Chamber were analyzed for proximate composition. All plants were grown using recirculating nutrient (hydroponic) film culture with pH and electrical conductivity automatically controlled. Temperature and humidity were controlled to near optimal levels for each species and atmospheric carbon dioxide partial pressures were maintained near 100 Pa during the light cycles. Soybean seed contained the highest percentage of protein and fat, potato tubers and wheat seed contained the highest levels of carbohydrate, and lettuce leaves contained the highest level of ash. Analyses showed values close to data published for field-grown plants with several exceptions: In comparison with field-grown plants, wheat seed had higher protein levels; soybean seed had higher ash and crude fiber levels; and potato tubers and lettuce leaves had higher protein and ash levels. The higher ash and protein levels may have been a result of the continuous supply of nutrients (e.g., potassium and nitrogen) to the plants by the recirculating hydroponic culture.

Nucleoli from growing oocytes inhibit the maturation of enucleolated, full-grown oocytes in the pig.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyogoku, Hirohisa; Ogushi, Sugako; Miyano, Takashi; Fulka, Josef

2011-06-01

In mammals, the nucleolus of full-grown oocyte is essential for embryonic development but not for oocyte maturation. In our study, the role of the growing oocyte nucleolus in oocyte maturation was examined by nucleolus removal and/or transfer into previously enucleolated, growing (around 100 µm in diameter) or full-grown (120 µm) pig oocytes. In the first experiment, the nucleoli were aspirated from growing oocytes whose nucleoli had been compacted by actinomycin D treatment, and the enucleolated oocytes were matured in vitro. Most of non-treated or actinomycin D-treated oocytes did not undergo germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD; 13% and 12%, respectively). However, the GVBD rate of enucleolated, growing oocytes significantly increased to 46%. The low GVBD rate of enucleolated, growing oocytes was restored again by the re-injection of nucleoli from growing oocytes (23%), but not when nucleoli from full-grown oocytes were re-injected into enucleolated, growing oocytes (49%). When enucleolated, full-grown oocytes were injected with nucleoli from growing or full-grown oocytes, the nucleolus in the germinal vesicle was reassembled (73% and 60%, respectively). After maturation, the enucleolated, full-grown oocytes injected with nucleoli from full-grown oocytes matured to metaphase II (56%), whereas injection with growing-oocyte nucleoli reduced this maturation to 21%. These results suggest that the growing-oocyte nucleolus is involved in the oocyte's meiotic arrest, and that the full-grown oocyte nucleolus has lost the ability. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Electrical properties of ZnO thin films grown by MOCVD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pagni, O. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Somhlahlo, N.N. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Weichsel, C. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Leitch, A.W.R. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)]. E-mail: andrew.leitch@nmmu.ac.za

2006-04-01

We report on the electrical characterization of ZnO films grown by MOCVD on glass and sapphire substrates. After correcting our temperature variable Hall measurements by applying the standard two-layer model, which takes into account an interfacial layer, scattering mechanisms in the ZnO films were studied as well as donor activation energies determined. ZnO films grown at different oxygen partial pressures indicated the importance of growth conditions on the defect structure by means of their conductivities and conductivity activation energies.

Electrical properties of ZnO thin films grown by MOCVD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pagni, O.; Somhlahlo, N.N.; Weichsel, C.; Leitch, A.W.R.

2006-01-01

We report on the electrical characterization of ZnO films grown by MOCVD on glass and sapphire substrates. After correcting our temperature variable Hall measurements by applying the standard two-layer model, which takes into account an interfacial layer, scattering mechanisms in the ZnO films were studied as well as donor activation energies determined. ZnO films grown at different oxygen partial pressures indicated the importance of growth conditions on the defect structure by means of their conductivities and conductivity activation energies

Selection of the Optimal Herbal Compositions of Red Clover and Pomegranate According to Their Protective Effect against Climacteric Symptoms in Ovariectomized Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su Jin Kang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to ascertain the optimal range of red clover dry extracts (RC and dried pomegranate concentrate powder (PCP to induce anti-climacteric effects. Thus, the dose ranges showing protective effect of mixed formulae consisting of RC and PCP were examined in ovariectomized mice. At 28 days after bilateral ovariectomy (OVX, mixed herbal compositions (RC:PCP = 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1 were administered orally, at 120 mg/kg once daily for 84 days. We evaluated that RC and PCP mixture attenuate OVX-caused obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and osteoporosis. Compared to OVX-induced control mice, body weight and abdominal fat weight in OVX-induced mice were significantly decreased, concomitantly with increase of uterus weight by RC:PCP mixture. Additionally, significant increases in serum estradiol levels were observed in all RC:PCP-treated mice. RC:PCP mixture also showed protective effect against OVX-induced hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis. Total body and femur mean bone mineral density (BMD, osteocalcin, bALP contents were effectively increased by RC:PCP mixture. Taken together, RC:PCP mixture (2:1, 1:1, and 4:1 has remarkable protective effects against the changes induced by OVX. In particular, RC:PCP mixture (2:1 shows the strongest effect and may be considered as a potential protective agent against climacteric symptoms.

Structural characterization of one-dimensional ZnO-based nanostructures grown by MOCVD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sallet, Vincent; Falyouni, Farid; Marzouki, Ali; Haneche, Nadia; Sartel, Corinne; Lusson, Alain; Galtier, Pierre [Groupe d' Etude de la Matiere Condensee (GEMAC), CNRS-Universite de Versailles St-Quentin, Meudon (France); Agouram, Said [SCSIE, Universitat de Valencia, Burjassot (Spain); Enouz-Vedrenne, Shaima [Thales Research and Technology France, Palaiseau (France); Munoz-Sanjose, Vicente [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada y Electromagnetismo, Universitat de Valencia, Burjassot (Spain)

2010-07-15

Various one-dimensional (1D) ZnO-based nanostructures, including ZnO nano-wires (NWs) grown using vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) process, ZnO/ZnSe core/shell, nitrogen-doped ZnO and ZnMgO NWs were grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis is presented. For all the samples, a high crystalline quality is observed. Some features are emphasized such as the gold contamination of ZnO wires grown under the metal droplets in the VLS process. It is concluded that MOCVD is a suitable technique for the realization of original ZnO nanodevices. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Conformity and structure of titanium oxide films grown by atomic layer deposition on silicon substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jogi, Indrek [University of Tartu, Institute of Experimental Physics and Technology, Taehe 4, 51010, Tartu (Estonia)], E-mail: indrek.jogi@ut.ee; Paers, Martti; Aarik, Jaan; Aidla, Aleks [University of Tartu, Institute of Physics, Riia 142, 51014, Tartu (Estonia); Laan, Matti [University of Tartu, Institute of Experimental Physics and Technology, Taehe 4, 51010, Tartu (Estonia); Sundqvist, Jonas; Oberbeck, Lars; Heitmann, Johannes [Qimonda Dresden GmbH and Co. OHG, Koenigsbruecker Strasse 180, 01099, Dresden (Germany); Kukli, Kaupo [University of Tartu, Institute of Experimental Physics and Technology, Taehe 4, 51010, Tartu (Estonia)

2008-06-02

Conformity and phase structure of atomic layer deposited TiO{sub 2} thin films grown on silicon substrates were studied. The films were grown using TiCl{sub 4} and Ti(OC{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4} as titanium precursors in the temperature range from 125 to 500 {sup o}C. In all cases perfect conformal growth was achieved on patterned substrates with elliptical holes of 7.5 {mu}m depth and aspect ratio of about 1:40. Conformal growth was achieved with process parameters similar to those optimized for the growth on planar wafers. The dominant crystalline phase in the as-grown films was anatase, with some contribution from rutile at relatively higher temperatures. Annealing in the oxygen ambient resulted in (re)crystallization whereas the effect of annealing depended markedly on the precursors used in the deposition process. Compared to films grown from TiCl{sub 4}, the films grown from Ti(OC{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4} were transformed into rutile in somewhat greater extent, whereas in terms of step coverage the films grown from Ti(OC{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4} remained somewhat inferior compared to the films grown from TiCl{sub 4}.

Anisotropic Friction of Wrinkled Graphene Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Fei; Yasaei, Poya; Yao, Wentao; Salehi-Khojin, Amin; Shahbazian-Yassar, Reza

2017-06-21

Wrinkle structures are commonly seen on graphene grown by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method due to the different thermal expansion coefficient between graphene and its substrate. Despite the intensive investigations focusing on the electrical properties, the nanotribological properties of wrinkles and the influence of wrinkle structures on the wrinkle-free graphene remain less understood. Here, we report the observation of anisotropic nanoscale frictional characteristics depending on the orientation of wrinkles in CVD-grown graphene. Using friction force microscopy, we found that the coefficient of friction perpendicular to the wrinkle direction was ∼194% compare to that of the parallel direction. Our systematic investigation shows that the ripples and "puckering" mechanism, which dominates the friction of exfoliated graphene, plays even a more significant role in the friction of wrinkled graphene grown by CVD. The anisotropic friction of wrinkled graphene suggests a new way to tune the graphene friction property by nano/microstructure engineering such as introducing wrinkles.