Effects of three types of soil amendments on yield and soil nitrogen balance of maize–wheat rotation system in the Hetao Irrigation Area, China

Excessive fertilization combined with unreasonable irrigation in farmland of the Hetao Irrigation Area(HIR), China, has resulted in a large amount of nitrogen(N) losses and agricultural non-point source pollution.Application of soil amendments has become one of the important strategies for reducing N losses of farmland.However, there is still no systematic study on the effects of various soil amendments on N losses in the HIR.In this study, three types of soil amendments(biochar, bentonite and polyacrylamide) were applied in a maize–wheat rotation system in the HIR during 2015–2017.Yields of maize and wheat, soil NH3 volatilization, N2O emission and NO3– leaching were determined and soil N balance was estimated.The results showed that applications of biochar, bentonite and polyacrylamide significantly increased yields of maize by 9.2%, 14.3% and 13.3%, respectively, and wheat by 9.2%, 16.6% and 12.3%, respectively, compared with the control(fertilization alone).Applications of biochar, bentonite and polyacrylamide significantly reduced soil N leaching by 23.1%, 35.5% and 27.1%, soil NH3-N volatilization by 34.8%, 52.7% and 37.8%, and soil N surplus by 23.9%, 37.4% and 30.6%, respectively.Applications of bentonite and polyacrylamide significantly reduced N2O-N emissions from soil by 37.3% and 35.8%, respectively, compared with the control.Compared with application of biochar, applications of bentonite and polyacrylamide increased yields of maize and wheat by 5.1% and 3.5%, respectively.Our results suggest that soil amendments(bentonite and polyacrylamide) can play important roles in reducing N losses and increasing yield for the maize–wheat rotation system in the HIR, China.

Diversity Analysis of Chlorophyll, Flavonoid, Anthocyanin, and Nitrogen Balance Index of Tea Based on Dualex

The chemical compositions of tea(Camellia sinensis)are affected by numerous factors,such as cultivar,climate,leaf position,and cultivation pattern.However,under the same conditions,the chemical compositions are mainly determined by varieties.Therefore,we investigated the genetic diversity of chemical compositions of tea tree resources in China to screen excellent germplasm resources.Three chemical compositions index(including chlorophyll index,flavonoid index,and anthocyanin index)and the nitrogen balance index of tea leaves were measured in 102 tea germplasms planted in Chinese Tea Plants Improved Variety Germplasm Resources Nursery(CTPIVGRN)by Dualex on April 152019.Results showed that the chlorophyll,flavonoid,and anthocyanin contents and the nitrogen balance index significantly differed between the 102 tea germplasms.The genetic diversity index values were 2.005,2.246,1.599,and 1.838,and the average genetic diversity was 1.922.The 102 tea germplasms can be divided into four categories by cluster analysis under the genetic distance threshold of 11.These results suggest that the genetic diversity of tea germplasm resources in China is rich.This study’s results can serve as a basis for the diversified development and utilization of tea plant.

Short-term application of low-dose growth hormone in surgical patients: Effects on nitrogen balance and blood glucose

AIM： To investigate the effectiveness and safety of recombinant human growth hormone （rhGH） in postoperative patients. METHODS： A total of 48 consecutive patients undergoing abdominal operations were randomized to receive either subcutaneous rhGH （0.15 IU/kg） or placebo （menstruum） injections daily for 7 d after surgery. The two groups had similar nutritional intake. Blood samples for serum fibronecUn, albumin, prealbumin, transferrin and the total lymphocyte count, as well as glucose levels were collected to study the rhGH effect. Basal laboratory evaluation, and nutritional status were estimated on d 1 before as baseline and d 3 and 10 after operation using standard laboratory techniques. Nitrogen balance was measured from d 3 to 9 after operation. RESULTS： The cumulative nitrogen balance was significantly improved in rhGH group compared with the placebo group （11.37 ± 16.82 vs -9.11 ± 17.52, P = 0.0003）. Serum fibronectin was also significantly higher in the rhGH group than in the placebo group （104.77 ± 19.94 vs 93.03 ± 16.03, P 〈 0.05）, whereas changes in serum albumin, prealbumin, transferrin and total lymphocyte counts were not statistically significant. Mean blood glucose levels were significantly higher in the rhGH group from d 3 to 6 after operation. CONCLUSION： If blood glucose can be controlled, lowdose growth hormone together with hypocaloric nutrition is effective on improving positive nitrogen balance and protein conservation and safe is in postoperative patients.

Protein Requirements in Healthy Adults: A Meta-analysis of Nitrogen Balance Studies

Objective The goal of this study was to analyze protein requirements in healthy adults through a meta-analysis of nitrogen balance studies. Methods A comprehensive search for nitrogen balance studies of healthy adults published up to October 2012 was performed, each study were reviewed, and data were abstracted. The studies were first evaluated for heterogeneity. The average protein requirements were analyzed by using the individual data of each included studies. Study site climate, age, sex, and dietary protein source were compared. Results Data for 348 subjects were gathered from 28 nitrogen balance studies. The natural logarithm of requirement for 348 individuals had a normal distribution with a mean of 4.66. The estimated average requirement was the exponentiation of the mean of the log requirement, 105.64 mg N/kg·d. No significant differences between adult age, source of dietary protein were observed. But there was significant difference between sex and the climate of the study site （P〈0.05）. Conclusion The estimated average requirement and recommended nutrient intake of the healthy adult population was 105.64 mg N/kg·d （0.66 g high quality protein/kg·d） and 132.05 mg N/kg·d （0.83 g high quality protein/kg·d）, respectively.

Effects of Supplemental Carbohydrate Sources on Lactation Performance, Nitrogen Balance,and Ruminal Fermentation in Dairy Cows Fed Energy-Deficient Total Mixed Rations

The effects of supplemental carbohydrate （CHO） sources on milk yield and composition, nitrogen （N） balance,and ruminal fermentation were evaluated in lactating dairy cows fed energy-deficient total mixed rations （TMR） . Fifty-six lactating Holstein cows （36. 8 ± 3. 4 kg / d of milk yield; 152 ± 26 days in milk [DIM]） were randomly assigned to one of four diets： （1） basal TMR （control） ; （2） basal TMR ＋ 1. 25 kg / d sucrose （SUC） ; （3） basal TMR ＋ 2. 12 kg /d steam-flaked corn （SFC） ; （4） basal TMR ＋ 2. 23 kg / d wheat （WHE） . The trial lasted 70 days,including the first 10 days of adaptation. Simultaneously, a 4 × 4 Latin square trial was conducted with four ruminally cannulated cows of similar DMI （Dry Matter Intake） fed on the above four diets. Each testing period lasted 18 days： 15 days for adaptation and 3 days for sampling. Cows fed SUC-,SFC-,and WHE-supplemented diets produced 1. 6,2. 9,and 0. 8 kg / d,respectively,more milk than those on the basal TMR control diet,but the difference was not significant （P = 0. 160） . However,the production of energy-corrected milk of cows fed CHO-supplemented diets improved significantly （P = 0. 020） ,and the yield of 4% fatcorrected milk tended to be higher （P = 0. 063） than in control animals. Percentages of milk protein,lactoseand solids-not-fat （SNF） increased significantly in cows fed CHO-supplemented diets （P 〈 0. 05） ,and yields of milk protein and SNF were significantly higher （P 〈0. 05） ; yields of milk fat and lactose were somewhat higher （P 〈 0. 10） . Cows receiving supplementary CHO diets consumed more DM （Dry Matter） （P = 0. 023） ; however,there was no significant difference in N retention,digestibility,or utilization efficiency among the treatments （P 〉 0. 10） . The average ruminal pH was lowest in cows supplemented with SUC,while that in cows supplemented with SFC and WHE was only slightly reduced （P = 0. 025） . Ruminal NH 3 -N concentration was highest with no supplementary CHO （P = 0. 017） ,and changes in postfeeding time were similar across the diets. Total volatile fatty acid concentration was significantly lower in control animals than in those on SUCand WHE-supplemented diets （P = 0. 001） ; significant dietary responses were observed in the concentrations of acetate,butyrate,and branchedchain fatty acids and in the acetate-to-propionate ratio （P 〈0. 001） . These results indicate that supplementation with different CHO sources in energy-deficient diets substantially improved the balance of energy and N in the rumen,altered ruminal fermentation,and improved lactation performance in dairy cows.

Metabolizable energy,nitrogen balance,and ileal digestibility of amino acids in quality protein maize for pigs

Background：To compare the nutritional value and digestibility of five quality protein maize（QPM） hybrids to that of white and yellow maize,two experiments were carried out in growing pigs.In experiment 1,the energy metabolizability and the nitrogen balance of growing pigs fed one of five QPM hybrid diets were compared against those of pigs fed white or yellow maize.In experiment 2,the apparent and standardized ileal digestibility（AID and SID,respectively） of proteins and amino acids from the five QPM hybrids were compared against those obtained from pigs fed white and yellow maize.In both experiments,the comparisons were conducted using contrasts.Results：The dry matter and nitrogen intakes were higher in the pigs fed the QPM hybrids（P 〈 0.05） than in the pigs fed white or yellow maize.Energy digestibility（P 〈 0.001） and metabolizability（P 〈 0.01） were higher in the pigs fed the white and yellow maize diets than in those fed the QPM diets.The AID of lysine was higher（P〈 0.01） in the QPM diets than in the white and yellow maize.The AIDs of leucine,isoleucine,valine,phenylalanine,and methionine were lower in the QPM diets than those of maize（white and yellow）（all P 〈 0.05）.Maize（white and yellow） had greater SIDs of leucine,isoleucine,valine,phenylalanine,glutamic acid,serine,alanine,tyrosine,and proline（P 〈 0.05）.Conclusions：Based on these results,it was concluded that QPM had a lower metabolizable energy content and a higher amount of digestible lysine than normal maize.

Soil nitrogen balance assessment and its application for sustainable agriculture and environment

Soil nitrogen balance assessment (SNBA) serves as an effective tool for estimating the magnitude of nitrogen loss/gain of the agro-eco systems and to appraise their sustainability. SNBA brings forth awareness of soil fertility problems, besides providing information relating to the resultant release of nitrogen into the environment consequent to agricultural practices. Quantitative information relating to nitrogen escape into the environment through such exercises can be gainfully utilized for identification of causative factors, enhancing fertilizer use efficiency and formulating programmes aimed at plugging N leakages. An overview of nitrogen balance approaches and methodologies is presented. A deeper understanding and insight into the agro-eco systems provided by the SNBA exercises can lay the basis for the formulation of effective agronomic interventions and policies aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and a benign environment.

Effect of Transplanting Density on Rice Yield,Nitrogen Uptake and ^(15)N-fertilizer Fate

[Objective] The aim of this study was investigated the rice yield, nitrogen uptake and ^15-fertilizer fate at different transplanting density to provide scientific ba- sis for improving the yield of rice and applying reasonably fertilizer. [Method] A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of different transplanting density on rice yield, nitrogen （N） absorption, sources of N uptake by rice and the N balance in the plant-soil systems by using ^15-labelled urea. [Result] There were no significant differences in rice yields and total N uptakes by rice between treatments 30 cm × 30 cm and 40 cm × 40 cm, but the yield of rice and total N absorption in the two treatments were remarkably higher than those in 50 cm × 50 cm treatment. The amounts of total N uptake by rice were in the range of 112.3-162.7 kg/hm2 in the three transplanting densities. The result showed that about 1/3 of the total N uptake by rice was supplied by application fertilizer and the other 2/3 was obtained from the soil N pool. The ^15N-labelled urea absorbed by rice, residual in soil and lost accounted for 16.3%-26.1%, 17.0%-20.9% and 53.0%-66.7% of the total fertilizer, respectively. A great deal of ^15N-labelled urea was lost during the rice growing season. [Conclusion] Considering the rice yield and environmental protection, the transplanting density of 30 cm×30 cm was recommended in the hilly area of Sichuan basin in the southwest China.

Surface N Balances in Agricultural Crop Production Systems in China for the Period 1980-2015

Surface nitrogen （N） balances for China＇s crop production systems was estimated using statistical data collected from 1980 to 2004 at the national and provincial scale and from 1994 to 1999 at the county level. There was a surplus N balance throughout these periods, but the surplus was nearly stable in recent years. Projections using nonseasonal Box-Jenkins model or exponential models show that the N surplus for the total cultivated land in China was likely to increase from 142.8 kg ha^-1 in 2004 to 168.6 kg ha 1 in 2015. The N balance surplus in the more developed southeastern provinces was the largest, and was slightly less in the central region, which caused the nitrate pollution in the ground water. The N surplus was much less in the western and northern provinces because of lower synthetic fertilizer inputs. The region with high N risk includes Beijing Municipality and Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hubei, and Shandong provinces for 2002-2004. The projections suggested that 15 provinces （or municipalities） in the middle and southeastern part of China except Jiangxi and Shanxi provinces would become the high-risk region by 2015. The level of economic development, transportation, and labor force condition had an important effect on the N balance surplus at the county level, but the last two factors showed remarkable impact at the provincial level. To decrease the nonpoint pollution （Npp） risk from crop production, the authors suggested to reduce the target level for national grain self-sufficiency to 90%-95% and change the regional structure of grain production by moving some of the future grain production from the high Npp risk areas of eastern China to parts of the central and western provinces where the Npp risk was much less.

Postponed and reduced basal nitrogen application improves nitrogen use efficiency and plant growth of winter wheat

Excessive nitrogen(N) fertilization with a high basal N ratio in wheat can result in lower N use efficiency(NUE) and has led to environmental problems in the Yangtze River Basin, China. However, wheat requires less N fertilizer at seedling growth stage, and its basal N fertilizer utilization efficiency is relatively low; therefore, reducing the N application rate at the seedling stage and postponing the N fertilization period may be effective for reducing N application and increasing wheat yield and NUE. A 4-year field experiment was conducted with two cultivars under four N rates(240 kg N ha–1(N240), 180 kg N ha–1(N180), 150 kg N ha–1(N150), and 0 kg N ha–1(N0)) and three basal N application stages(seeding(L0), fourleaf stage(L4), and six-leaf stage(L6)) to investigate the effects of reducing the basal N application rate and postponing the basal N fertilization period on grain yield, NUE, and N balance in a soil-wheat system. There was no significant difference in grain yield between the N180 L4 and N240 L0(control) treatments, and the maximum N recovery efficiency and N agronomy efficiency were observed in the N180 L4 treatment. Grain yield and NUE were the highest in the L4 treatment. The leaf area index, flag leaf photosynthesis rate, flag leaf nitrate reductase and glutamine synthase activities, dry matter accumulation, and N uptake post-jointing under N180 L4 did not differ significantly from those under N240 L0. Reduced N application decreased the inorganic N content in the 0–60-cm soil layer, and the inorganic N content of the L6 treatment was higher than those of the L0 and L4 treatments at the same N level. Surplus N was low under the reduced N rates and delayed basal N application treatments. Therefore, postponing and reducing basal N fertilization could maintain a high yield and improve NUE by improving the photosynthetic production capacity, promoting N uptake and assimilation, and reducing surplus N in soil-wheat systems.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency as Affected by Phosphorus and Potassium in Long-Term Rice and Wheat Experiments

Improving nitrogen use efficiency （NUE） and decreasing N loss are critical to sustainable agriculture. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of various fertilization regimes on yield, NUE, N agronomic efficiency （NAE） and N loss in long-term （16- or 24-yr） experiments carried out at three rice-wheat rotation sites （Chongqing, Suining and Wuchang） in subtropical China. Three treatments were examined： sole chemical N, N＋phosphorus （NP）, and NP＋potassium （NPK） fertilizations. Grain yields at three sites were significantly increased by 9.3-81.6% （rice） and 54.5-93.8% （wheat） under NP compared with N alone, 1.7-9.8% （rice） and 0-17.6% （wheat） with NPK compared with NP. Compared to NP, NUE significantly increased for wheat at Chongqing （9.3%） and Wuchang （11.8%）, but not at Suining, China. No changes in NUE were observed in rice between NP and NPK at all three sites. The rice-wheat rotation＇s NAE was 3.3 kg kg1 higher under NPK than under NP at Chongqing, while NAE was similar for NP and NPK at Suining and Wuchang. We estimated that an uptake increase of 1.0 kg N hal would increase 40 kg rice and 30 kg wheat ha-1. Nitrogen loss/input ratios were -60, -40 or -30% under N, NP or NPK at three sites, indicating significant decrease of N loss by P or PK additions. We attribute part of the increase in NUE soil N accumulation which significantly increased by 25-55 kg ha-1 yr1 under NPK at three sites, whereas by 35 kg ha-1 yr-1 under NP at Chongqing only. This paper illustrates that apply P and K to wheat, and reduce K application to rice is an effective nutrient management strategy for both the NUE improvement and N losses reduction in China.

Comparative Study on Nitrogen Metabolism and the Nitrogen Maintenance Requirement in Lohmann Brown Roosters and Layers

The objective of this study was to in- vestigate the effect of dietary protein level on nitrogen retention and compare nitrogen metabolism in Lohm- ann Brown adult roosters and layers. The nitrogen ma- intenance requirement （Nm ） was determined based on the nitrogen balance. Thirty Lohmann Brown adult roosters and 30 laying hens at 27 weeks of age were randomly divided into five groups of six birds per group. The birds were fed with one of five diets con- taining 10.46%, 11.77%, 13.79%, 16.77% or 18.29% of crude protein. Nitrogen intake, nitrogen retention and nitrogen retention efficiency were higher in roost- ers than in laying hens, and the average nitrogen re- tention rate for groups fed with CP level of 11.77%, 13.79%, 16.77% and 18. 29% was improved by9.14%. The nitrogen maintenance requirement for Lohmann Brown roosters and laying hens at 27 weeks of age were 0.4245 g/d and 0.5059 g/d, respective- ly, and Nm based on average body weight （BW） and metabolic body weight （ BW^Ts ） was 0.2364 g/kg BW and 0. 2739 g/kg BW~＇75 for laying hens and 0. 2754 g/kg BW and 0. 3208 g/kg BW^72 for roost- ers, respectively. The regression equations for daily N gain （NB, protein accretion） vs. daily N intake （NI ） for Lohrnann Brown layers and roosters were NB = 0.3743NI -0.1589（R2 =0.79） and NB =0.6228NI - 0.3151 （ R2 = 0.85 ）, respectively. The results of this study indicate that nitrogen intake and nitrogen reten- tion at the same dietary CP level were higher in roost- ers than in laying hens.

Integrated application of February Orchid(Orychophragmus violaceus) as green manure with chemical fertilizer for improving grain yield and reducing nitrogen losses in spring maize system in northern China

The development of more efficient management systems is crucial to achieving high grain yields with high nitrogen use efficiency（NUE）. February Orchid-spring maize rotation system is a newly established planting system with the benefits of ground cover and potential wind erosion in northern China. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of integrated application of February Orchid as green manure with reduction of chemical fertilizers（INTEGRATED） on spring maize yield, N uptake, ammonium volatilization, and soil residual mineral N in northern China. Compared to farmers＇ traditional fertilization（CON）, integrated application of February Orchid as green manure with 30% reduction of nitrogen fertilizers（INTEGRATED） increased maize grain yield and biomass by 9.9 and 10.2%, respectively. The 0–100 cm soil residual Nmin at harvest was decreased by 58.5% and thus nitrogen use efficiency was increased significantly by 26.7%. The nitrogen balance calculation further demonstrated that the INTEGRATED approach performed better than CON with lower apparent nitrogen loss（decreased by 48.9%） which evidenced by the ammonium volatilization of top-dressing fertilizer was decreased by 31.1%, the N_（min） movement to the deeper soil layers was reduced, and the apparent nitrogen leaching loss nearly equal to 0 under the INTEGRATED treatment. Therefore, in northern China, integrated application of green manure and chemical fertilizers is an efficient management approach for improving maize yields and NUE simultaneously.

Assessment of nitrogen maintenance requirement in juvenile Black Porgy Acanthopagrus schlegeli

Nitrogen balance method and nitrogen-free diet were used in this study to determine nitrogen maintenance requirement (NM) and nitrogen maintenance requirement per unit metabolism body weight (NM’) of black porgy Acanthopagrus schlegeli. Fish with body weight (BW) of 50, 80, 120, 160 and 200 g were fed by the diets containing three graded levels of crude protein (380, 420 and 460 g/kg). The results from nitrogen balance experiment showed that the amount of nitrogen deposition varied from 0.15 to 0.31 mg/g BW per day, accounting for 12.2% to 21.1% of nitrogen intake. The amount of fecal nitrogen excretion varied from 0.21 to 0.32 mg/g BW per day, accounting for 16.3% to 21.6% of nitrogen intake. The endogenous nitrogen excretion, a main part of nitrogen consumption varied from 0.79 to 0.97 mg/g BW per day, accounting for 63.3 % to 68.0% of nitrogen intake. Positive correlation was found between NM and body weight, while a negative correlation was found between NM of unit body weight and the growth duration. No significant differences (p>0.05) were found in NM’ among different growth stages. The average of NM’ was 0.485 7mg/g per day. The results from nitrogen-free diet experiment showed that a negative correlation between NM and feed intake of nitrogen-free diet. NM increased with the decrease of feed intake of fish. The average of NM was 0.482 9 mg/g BW per day that was close to 0.483 8 mg/g BW obtained from fish with 120 g BW in nitrogen balance experiment. The nitrogen balance method is recommended to be a better method for determining NM in consideration of fish stress and result stability. This study also provides a calculated result of the protein content in diets, which is necessary for maintaining fish body protein at different growth stages. The calculation was based on the amount of nitrogen required for maintaining body protein per kg BW.

Intake,digestibility and nitrogen utilization in cattle fed tropical forage and supplemented with protein in the rumen,abomasum,or both

Background： There is little information in the tropics with regard the comparative understanding of how an increased nitrogen supply in the rumen or in the intestines affects efficiency of nitrogen utilization in cattle. This study evaluated the effects of supplementation with nitrogenous compounds in the rumen, abomasum, or both on intake, digestibility and the characteristics of nitrogen utilization in cattle fed tropical forage. Four rumen- and abomasum-fistulated Nellore bulls （227 ± 11 kg） were used. Four treatments were evaluated： control, ruminal supplementation （230 g/d of supplemental protein in the rumen）, abomasal supplementation （230 g/d of supplemental protein in the abomasum）, and ruminal and abomasal supplementation （115 g/d protein in both the rumen and the abomasum）. The basal forage diet consisted of Tifton 85 hay with a crude protein （CP） level of 78.4 g/kg dry matter. Casein was used as a supplement. The experiment was conducted using a 4 x 4 Latin square. Results： There were no differences between the treatments （P 〉 0.10） with regard to forage intake. The intake and tota digestibility of CP increased （P 〈 0.01） with supplementation. The nitrogen balance in the body increased （P 〈 0.01） and muscle protein mobilization decreased （P 〈 0.01） with supplementation, regardless of the supplementation site. The efficiency of nitrogen utilization did not differ among the treatments （P 〉 0.10）. Conclusions： The supplementation of cattle fed tropical forage with protein in the rumen, abomasum, or both similarly increased the nitrogen accretion in animal, which reflects improvements on nitrogen status in animal body.

Nitrogen mobility,ammonia volatilization,and estimated leaching loss from long-term manure incorporation in red soil

Nitrogen（N） loss from fertilization in agricultural fields has an unavoidable negative impact on the environment and a better understanding of the major pathways can assist in developing the best management practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fate of N fertilizers applied to acidic red soil（Ferralic Cambisol） after 19 years of mineral（synthetic） and manure fertilizer treatments under a cropping system with wheat-maize rotations. Five field treatments were examined： control（CK）, chemical nitrogen and potash fertilizer（NK）, chemical nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer（NP）, chemical nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizer（NPK） and the NPK with manure（NPKM, 70% N from manure）. Based on the soil total N storage change in 0–100 cm depth, ammonia（NH_3） volatilization, nitrous oxide（N_2O） emission, N plant uptake, and the potential N leaching loss were estimated using a mass balance approach. In contrast to the NPKM, all mineral fertilizer treatments（NK, NP and NPK） showed increased nitrate（NO_3~–） concentration with increasing soil depth, indicating higher leaching potential. However, total NH_3 volatilization loss was much higher in the NPKM（19.7%） than other mineral fertilizer treatments（≤4.2%）. The N_2O emissions were generally low（0.2–0.9%, the highest from the NPKM）. Total gaseous loss accounted for 1.7, 3.3, 5.1, and 21.9% for NK, NP, NPK, and NPKM treatments, respectively. Estimated N leaching loss from the NPKM was only about 5% of the losses from mineral fertilizer treatments. All data demonstrated that manure incorporation improved soil productivity, increased yield, and reduced potential leaching, but with significantly higher NH_3 volatilization, which could be reduced by improving the application method. This study confirms that manure incorporationis an essential strategy in N fertilization management in upland red soil cropping system.

Energy and protein requirements for maintenance of Hu sheep during pregnancy

This study aimed to determine the effect of stage and level of feed intake on energy metabolism, carbon-nitrogen （C-N） balance, and methane emission to determine energy and protein requirements for maintenance of maternal body including pregnancy tissues during pregnancy using the method of C-N balance. Twenty-one ewes carrying twin fetuses were randomly divided into three groups of seven ewes each in the digestion and respirometry trial at d 40, 100, and 130 of gestation, respectively. Three groups were fed a mixed diet either for ad lib#urn intake, 70 or 50% of the ad libfum intake during pregnancy. The results showed that the apparent digestibility of C and N were increased as feeding levels decreased at each stage of gestation. The daily net energy requirements for maintenance （NEro） were 295.80, 310.09, and 323.59 kJ kg-1 BW0.75 （metabolic body weight） with a partial efficiency of metabolisable energy utilization for maintenance of 0.664, 0.644, and 0.620 at d 40, 100, and 130 of gestation, respectively. The daily net protein requirements for maintenance were 1.99, 2.35, and 2.99 g kg-1 BW0.75 at d 40, 100, and 130 of gestation, respectively. These results for the nutritional requirements of the net energy and protein may help to formulate more balanced diets for Hu sheep during pregnancy.

Industrial application prospects and key issues of the pure-hydrogen reduction process

The industrial application prospect and key issues in basic theory and application are discussed by the methods of theoretical analysis and calculation to promote the development of the pure-hydrogen reduction process.According to the discussion of thermodynamics and kinetics of pure-hydrogen reduction reaction,the reduction reaction of iron oxide by pure hydrogen is an endothermic reaction,and the reaction rate of hydrogen reduction is significantly faster than that of carbon reduction.To explore the feasibility of the industrial applications of pure-hydrogen reduction,we design the hydrogen reduction reactor and process with reference to the industrialized hydrogen-rich reduction process and put forward the methods of appropriately increasing the reduction temperature,pressure,and temperature of iron ore into the furnace to accelerate the reaction rate and promote the reduction of iron oxide.The key technical parameters in engineering applications,such as hydrogen consumption,circulating gas volume,and heat balance,are discussed by theoretical calculations,and the optimized parameter values are proposed.The process parameters,cost,advantages,and disadvantages of various current hydrogen production methods are compared,and the results show that hydrogen production by natural gas reforming has a good development prospect.Through the discussion of the corrosion mechanism of high-temperature and high-pressure hydrogen on heat-resistant steel materials and the corrosion mechanism of H_2S in the hydrogen gas on steel,the technical ideas of developing new metal temperature-resistant materials,metal coating materials,and controlling gas composition are put forward to provide guidance for the selection of heater and reactor materials.Finally,the key factors affecting the smooth operation of the hydrogen reduction process in engineering applications are analyzed,offering a reference for the industrial application of the purehydrogen reduction process.

Lipopolysaccharide immune stimulation but not β-mannanase supplementation affects maintenance energy requirements in young weaned pigs

Background: Pathogen or diet-induced immune activation can partition energy and nutrients away from growth,but clear relationships between immune responses and the direction and magnitude of energy partitioning responses have yet to be elucidated. The objectives were to determine how β-mannanase supplementation and lipopolysaccharide(LPS) immune stimulation affect maintenance energy requirements(MEm) and to characterize immune parameters, digestibility, growth performance, and energy balance.Methods: In a randomized complete block design, 30 young weaned pigs were assigned to either the control treatment(CON; basal corn, soybean meal and soybean hul s diet), the enzyme treatment(ENZ; basal diet + 0.056% β-mannanase),or the immune system stimulation treatment(ISS; basal diet + 0.056% β-mannanase, chal enged with repeated increasing doses of Escherichia coli LPS). The experiment consisted of a 10-d adaptation period, 5-d digestibility and nitrogen balance measurement, 22 h of heat production(HP) measurements, and 12 h of fasting HP measurements in indirect calorimetry chambers. The immune chal enge consisted of 4 injections of either LPS(ISS) or sterile saline(CON and ENZ), one every48 h beginning on d 10. Blood was collected pre-and post-challenge for complete blood counts with differential,haptoglobin and mannan binding lectin, 12 cytokines, and glucose and insulin concentrations.Results: Beta-mannanase supplementation did not affect immune status, nutrient digestibility, growth performance,energy balance, or MEm. The ISS treatment induced fever, elevated proinflammatory cytokines and decreased leukocyte concentrations(P < 0.05). The ISS treatment did not impact nitrogen balance or nutrient digestibility(P > 0.10),but increased total HP(21%) and MEm(23%), resulting in decreased lipid deposition(-30%) and average daily gain(-18%)(P < 0.05).Conclusions: This experiment provides novel data on β-mannanase supplementation effects on immune parameters and energy balance in pigs and is the first to directly relate decreased ADG to increased MEm independent of changes in feed intake in immune challenged pigs. Immune stimulation increased energy partitioning to the immune system by 23% which limited lipid deposition and weight gain. Understanding energy and nutrient partitioning in immune-stressed pigs may provide insight into more effective feeding and management strategies.

Performance and Ruminal Characteristics of Beef Cattle Fed Four Different Hybrids Sorghum Silages

This study was conducted to evaluate the intake, total and partial digestibility of nutrient, ruminal pH and ammonia concentration, microbial protein synthesis and performance in crossbred Holstein × Zebu cattle fed four different hybrids sorghum silages （1F305, XBF60329, BRS610, Volumax）. In Experiment 1, four rumen and abomasum fistulated steers, 400 ± 80 kg, distributed in a 4 × 4 Latin Square, were used. In Experiment 2, 28 crossbred Holstein × Zebu steers, 350 ± 50 kg, distributed in a randomized block design with four treatments and seven replicates, were used. In Experiment 1, it was observed that nutrient intake, as well as total, ruminal and intestinal digestibility of nutrient, were not affected （P 〉 0.05） by diets, except for total apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber （NDFap）, which was lower for the BRS610 hybrid. There was lower NDFap ingestion in animals that received a diet containing silage from the BRS610 hybrid, however, the lowest intake non-fibrous carbohydrates （NFC） was observed for the diet containing silage from the Volumax hybrid. In Experiment 2, nutrient intake were not affected by the diets （P 〉 0.05）, whereas, NDFap intake was lesser for hybrid BRS610. It was found that daily weight gain and feed conversion were not affected by different silages diets. Therefore, it may be concluded that the diets used were nutritionally equivalent, as they promoted similar animal performance without affecting ruminal parameters.