Impact on Soil Organic C and Total Soil N from Cool- and Warm-Season Legumes Used in a Green Manure-Forage Cropping System

Annual forage legumes are important components of livestock production systems in East Texas and the southeastern US. Forage legumes contribute nitrogen (N) to cropping systems through biological N fixation, and their seasonal biomass production can be managed to complement forage grasses. Our research objectives were to evaluate both warm- and cool-season annual forage legumes as green manure for biomass, N content, ability to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil N, and impact on post season forage grass crops. Nine warm-season forage legumes (WSL) were spring planted and incorporated as green manure in the fall. Forage rye (Secale cereale L.) was planted following the incorporation of WSL treatments. Eight cool-season forage legumes (CSL) were fall planted in previously fallow plots and incorporated as green manure in late spring. Sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x Sorghum bicolor var. sudanense) was planted over all treatments in early summer after forage rye harvest and incorporation of CSL treatments. Sorghum-sudangrass was harvested in June, August and September, and treatments were evaluated for dry matter and N concentration. Soil cores were taken from each plot, split into depths of 0 to 15, 15 to 30 and 30 to 60 cm, and soil C and N were measured using combustion analysis. Nylon mesh bags containing plant samples were buried at 15 cm and used to evaluate decomposition rate of above ground legume biomass, including change in C and N concentrations. Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. [Wilczek]) had the highest shoot biomass yield (6.24 t DM ha-1) and contributed the most total N (167 kg∙ha-1) and total C (3043 kg∙ha-1) of the WSL tested. Decomposition rate of WSL biomass was rapid in the first 10 weeks and very slow afterward. Winter pea (Pisum sativum L. spp. sativum), arrow leaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) were the most productive CSL in this trial. Austrian winter pea produced 8.41 t DM ha-1 with a total N yield of 319 kg N ha-1 and total C production of 3835 kg C ha-1. The WSL treatments had only small effects on rye forage yield and N concentration, possibly due to mineralization of N from a large SOC pool already in place. The CSL treatments also had only minimal effects on sorghum-sudangrass forage production. Winter pea, arrow leaf and crimson clover were productive cool season legumes and could be useful as green manure crops. Mungbean and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) were highly productive warm season legumes but may include more production risk in green manure systems due to soil moisture competition.

The age at first consumption of forage in calves and its effect on growth and rumination in the short‑and long‑term

Background Previous investigations into the effect of dietary forage on calf performance have been inconsistent,and there is a paucity of information exploring the effect of age on the growth performance and rumination of calves.Eighty-four female Holstein calves(41.5±4.2 kg)were enrolled at birth,a subset of the calves were fed calf starter only(CON,n=21)while the rest(n=63)were classified into three treatment groups:the early(EHAY,n=26,5.1±0.8 d),the middle(MHAY,n=21,7.9±0.8 d)and the late(LHAY,n=16,12.1±1.4 d)hay consumers.The short-term effect of the age at first forage consump-tion(AFF)on calves’feed intake was monitored until d 84.In addition,the long-term effects of AFF on body weight,structural growth and rumination behavior were recorded until d 196.Rumen samples were collected on d 1,7,35,84 and 196 to ana-lyze the rumen fermentation,while fecal samples were collected from d 78 to 84 to estimate digestibility parameters.Results Treatment had no effect on feed intake.While,the EHAY calves tended to have lower BW and ADG compared to LHAY and CON calves.Several total-tract apparent digestibility parameters and digestible nutrients intake were significantly lower in EHAY calves compared with CON and LHAY calves.Calves in the EHAY group tended to begin ruminating ealier,while CON calves were the latest(12.3 vs.15.5 days of age).A treatment and time interaction was present for rumination time due to greater rumination in calves consuming hay compared to CON calves in week 10 to 12,the differences in rumination disappeared afterwards,no long-lasting significant differences in the rumina-tion and rumen fermentation parameters were found between treatments.Conclusions In conclusion,this study showed that hay consumption earlier in life(in the first week,around 5 days of life)could negatively affect the growth of the calf in the short and long term.Compared to consuming hay from the second week(around 12 days of life)or feeding concentrate only without hay,starting to consume hay from the first week could compromise nutrient digestibility and digestible nutrient intake independent of developing rumination behaviour and rumen fermentation.

Effects of Stylosanthes scabra Forage Supplementation on in Vitro Gas Production and Fiber Degradation of Eragrostis Grass Hay

Natural pastures constitute a major component of ruminant livestock feed, and are the most cost-effective feed resource available for smallholder subsistence farmers. However, this feed resource does not meet animal nutritional requirement due to deficiency in nitrogen, energy and minerals. In addition, at maturity lignification is the major concern since it reduces digestibility and contributes to methane emission. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing low-quality Eragrostis grass hay with five (9281, 11,252, 11,255, 11,595 and 11,604) selected Stylosanthes scabra accessions on in vitro ruminal fermentation and neutral detergent fiber degradation. Therefore, in vitro study was conducted on grass hay, accessions and the mixture of grass hay with each accession included at two (15%, 30%) levels. The substrates (grass hay, accessions and the mixtures) were incubated in separate serum bottles for 72 h. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of the accessions ranged from 300 to 350 g/kg DM with crude protein (CP) value ranging from 177.5 to 184.1 g/kg DM. Eragrostis grass hay had NDF value of 813 g/kg DM, with CP value of 34.3 g/kg DM. Grass hay fermented slowly, it took 30 h for grass hay to produce gas volume above 50 mL, while Stylosanthes scabra accessions took 12 h. Supplementing grass hay with accessions significantly improved fermentation. However, it was observed that 15% inclusion took 30 h to produce gas volume above 50 mL, whereas at 30% inclusions it took 24 h for accession 9281, 11,595 and 11,604. Accession 11,604 improve grass fermentation by almost three times the value of grass hay in 2 h. Grass hay supplemented with accession 11,604 at 30% had a positive associative effect and significantly improved NDF degradability. In conclusion, accession 11,604 may be fed strategically as forage supplement to low-quality forage for ruminants.

The type of lipid supplement has crucial implications for forage particle size in calf starter diets

Background Forage inclusion in starters of young dairy calves has become an acceptable strategy in the last decade.To compensate for the lower energy provided by forage,concurrent lipid supplementation can be proposed.How-ever,ruminal microbial activity and forage digestibility may be decreased by lipid supplementation.We hypothesized that the composite effect of forage and lipid supplements may be dependent on forage particle size and the type of lipid supplement.Therefore,we evaluated the effect of long(LP;geometric mean,4.97 mm)vs.short alfalfa hay particle sizes(SP;geometric mean,1.26 mm)with either soybean oil(SBO)or palm fatty acids(PLF)as lipid source in a 2×2 factorial design with treatments SP-SBO,SP-PLF,LP-SBO,and LP-PLF.Treatments(n=13 with 6 males and 7 females each)were offered to Holstein calves(3 days old)with equal amounts of lipid(25 g/kg DM)through-out the experimental period.The milk offering scheme(d 1 to 53)was equal for all groups.Data collection continued until 20 d post-weaning.Results Interaction between forage particle size and lipid supplement was significant for the following readouts:the highest and lowest starter intakes during the pre-weaning period occurred in LP-PLF and LP-SBO,respectively.This was associated with similarly contrasting changes in average daily gain(ADG)during the post-weaning period,body weight at the end of experiment,withers height,digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fiber,and blood serum concentrations of glucose,beta-hydroxybutyrate,and insulin during the pre-weaning period.Dur-ing both pre-and post-weaning periods,the highest and lowest urinary excretion of allantoin and total purine deriva-tives,representing microbial protein synthesis,were observed in LP-PLF and LP-SBO,respectively,indicating that those diets were most and least favorable for rumen development.Irrespective of forage particle size,supplemental SBO vs.PLF increased serum malondialdehyde as an oxidative stress indicator across periods,increased blood urea nitrogen and feed efficiency in the pre-weaning period,and reduced hip height during the post-weaning period.Conclusions It can be concluded that feeding a rumen-inert,mostly saturated fatty acid source with alfalfa hay as long particle size is recommended with view on performance,whereas a combination soybean oil rich in unsatu-rated fatty acids should not be provided to milk-fed Holstein calves together with long particle forage.Feeding soybean oil and alfalfa hay as long particles is not advisable mainly due to lower starter consumption and impaired development of ruminal function.If dietary supplementation of soybean oil is applied,incorporation of forage as small particles should be preferred to support rumen development.

Early Forage Biomass and Sward Structures of Native Warm-Season Grasses Established at Different Seedling Densities

Effects of transplanted seedling density and species on sward structure of native warm-season grass (NWSG) stands were compared in a randomized complete block design. About 6-week-old NWSG (big bluestem (BB, Andropogon gerardii Vitman), eastern gamagrass (GG, Tripsacum dactyloides L.), indiangrass [IG, Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash] and switchgrass (SG, Panicum virgatum) seedlings were transplanted in 45-cm wide rows on clean-tilled seedbeds. Within-row spacing was 30, 25, or, 20 cm giving 10, 12, and 15 plants m-2 as low, medium, and high seedling density, respectively. During establishment, the stands were allowed uninterrupted first year growth without fertilizers or irrigation but when necessary, tall-growing broadleaf weeds were mechanically removed. In the following spring, all dead standing biomass was mowed down to allow emerging tillers access to sunlight. During the second year after planting, early-spring basal diameters, row-length intercepted by the NWSG crowns, mid-summer sward heights, and percentage bare ground were determined. From the second June after planting, and for two consecutive years, plots were harvested twice year-1 to assess forage biomass. Data showed that, unlike species, seedling density had no effect on the assessed parameters. Cumulative forage biomass, in kg DM ha-1, was the least for GG (4901) at low and the most (18,245) for SG at high seedling density during the second year. Corresponding values for the third year were 4500 and 7799 kg DM ha-1. Basal diameters ranged from 18 cm (BB) to 24 cm (IG) while percent row intercepts were from 6 (GG) to 46 (IG) with sward heights measuring 41 cm (IG) to 54 cm (GG). In each stand, percent ground cover by the NWSGs, and at every seedling density, averaged 60.5. Transplanting at ≥10 plant m-2 resulted in harvest-ready stands by the second year of establishment. And while close spacing favored the NWSGs against weeds, data showed that an initial plant density of >10 plants m-2 may not result in increased forage production worthy the additional establishment cost. Data on response to fertility management and forage quality attributes are necessary for more reliable practical recommendations.

Diverse foraging strategies of breeding Swinhoe's Storm-petrel in the productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific

Understanding the foraging behavior is essential for investigating seabird ecology and conservation,as well as monitoring the well-being of the marine environment.Breeding seabirds adopt diverse foraging strategies to maximize energy gains and cope with the intensified challenges of parenting and self-maintenance.Such tradeoff may stem from the heterogeneity of food resources and the constraints of central place foraging.Nevertheless,abundant marine productivity could alleviate the energy limitation for seabirds,resulting in a consistent foraging approach.Here,we investigated the foraging strategy during the breeding season of a cryptic small-sized seabird,Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel(Hydrobates monorhis),in the Yellow Sea,a productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific.Using GPS tracking,we evaluated habitat preference,quantified the foraging strategy,and tested if environmental conditions and individual traits influence foraging trips.We found that Swinhoe’s Storm-petrels preferred nearshore areas with shallow water and engaged in primarily short foraging trips.Distinctive southeastward and southwestward strategies emerged when combining trip metrics,including foraging direction,duration,and maximum distance.The bathymetry,proximity to the coastline,and sea surface temperature differed in two foraging strategies.Foraging strategies exhibited flexibility between individuals,potentially explained by wing morphology,in which longer-winged birds are more likely to embark on longer-distance foraging trips.These findings highlight the impact of environmental factors and individual traits on seabirds’foraging decisions in productive marginal sea ecosystems.Our study also provides valuable insights into the foraging ecology of this Asian endemic storm-petrel.

Self-Seeding Warm-Season Legumes for Low-Input Forage Production in the Southern Great Plains of the USA

In the southern Great Plains (SGP) of the USA warm-season legumes can improve the quality of available forage in pasture systems based on perennial warm-season grasses. Legumes that persist through self-seeding may be especially useful in low-input systems where resources for annual replanting are limited. The productivity and capacity for self-seeding of Korean lespedeza (Kummerowia stipulacea [Maxim.] Makino) and Verano stylo (Stylosanthes hamata [L.] Taub.) were tested in controlled environment and in field plots in the SGP. At similar levels of accumulated temperature, germination of Korean lespedeza was unaffected by day/night temperature regimes between 15/15&degC and 30/15&degC. In contrast, at similar accumulated temperatures, germination of Verano stylo increased with higher daytime maximum temperature up to 30&degC. Seedling growth of both species was reduced by shading, in proportion to the reduction in photosynthetic flux density. Growth of Korean lespedeza up to five weeks after emergence was greatest under a 22.5/7.5&degC temperature regime but that of Verano stylo was greatest at 30/15&degC. In the field Korean lespedeza was a prolific seeder and productive of forage though susceptible to significant loss of leaf material in late summer and fall. Verano stylo did not reseed effectively and was not a reliable forage producer.

Study on Propagation by Cuttings of Forage Maize

[Objective] The experiment aimed to provide technical guidance for cutting propagation of forage maize SAUMZI.[Method]The survival situation of cuttings at different stem parts and with different internodes numbers and nutrient basis of cutting growth were studied in this experiment.[Result]The survival of young cutting was high while the rooting rate,germination rate and soluble sugar content of lower part of old stem and young cutting were all high.The rooting rate and survival rate with two nodes were higher than those with one node.The total nitrogen content in young stem and in all stems of two-year-old strain were relatively high while soluble sugar content was positively correlated to germination rate,however,total nitrogen content did not show obvious correlation with rooting rate and germination rate.[Conclusion]The young cutting possessed the highest survival rate and germination rate.

Supporting of Potential Forage Production to the Herbivore-based Pastoral Farming Industry on the Loess Plateau

For the purpose of contributing to the establishment of optimized eco-productive paradigm, a new layout of land use of the Loess Plateau was carried out and the associated forage potential was estimated. Results indicated that the percentages of the area of grassland, woodland, basic farmland and orchard to the total productive land area were 44%, 22%, 20% and 14% respectively according to this new land use scenario. Based on the datasets of 197 counties in the Loess Plateau, the estimated forage potential would amount to 104 881 028 ton/a (hay), which can raise 104 881 028 productivity sheep unit/ a. According to the unchanged price in 1999, pastoral gross product value would amount to 52 440.51 million yuan RMB/a, which is as much as 5.3 times of that in 1999 and exceeds the agricultural gross product in 1999 by 14%. In addition, there are ca. 59% of counties whose mean pastoral product value per person would be more than 1 000 yuan RMB/a, while ca. 41% of counties whose mean pastoral product value per person would be less than 1 000 yuan RMB/a. On the other hand, the estimated agricultural gross product on the Loess Plateau would amount to 11 472 2.34 million yuan RMB/a and ca. 46% of the total would come from pastoral industry, 27% from orchid industry, 14% from forestry and 13% from farmland. From the perspective both ecologically and economically, this paper holds that the herbi-vore-based pastoral industry is a promising industry bolstering the ecological improvement and economical development on the Loess Plateau.

Diversity and Phylogenetic Analysis of Lactic Acid in Forage of Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region

[Objective] The aim was to conduct preliminary investigation and diversity analysis of lactic acid bacteria resources in forage from Turpan of Xinjiang. [Method] The lactic acid bacteria in the three kinds of forage ingredients in Xinjiang were isolated by using plate separation method and screened by MRS＋CaCO3 solid medium. Morphological, physiological and biochemical identification and 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis were carried out to the isolated eighty strains of lactic acid bacteria, to explore its taxonomic status. [Result] Twenty strains of lactic acid bacteria were obtained from alfalfa, forty-one from wheat, and nineteen from corn. The physiological and biochemical identification and 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis results showed that the eighty strains of lactic acid bacteria belonged to two genera, namely, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus; 7 species, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Entercoccus faecium, Entercoccus durans, Lactobacillus plantarum, Entercoccus hirae. Lactobacillus casei and Entercoccus faecium were ubiquitous in the three kinds of forage ingredients. Besides these two lactic acid bacteria, there were Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum in wheat, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Entercoccus hirae, Entercoccus durans in alfalfa, Lactobacillus plantarum, Entercoccus durans in corn. [Conclusion] There is a big diversity of lactic acid bacteria in different forage from Turpan of Xinjiang, in which Lactobacillus casei, Entercoccus faecium are the key bacteria for forage fermentation.

Effects of Chemical Pretreatment on Enzymatic Saccharification and Fermentation of Forages

[ Objective] To study the effect of pretreatment with chemical substances on enzymatic saccharification of affalfa （ Medic, ago sativa L. ）, sorghum hybrid sudan grass [ Sorghum bicolor （ L. ） Moench x Sorghum sudanese （Piper） Stapf], erect milkvetch （Astraga/us adsurgens Pall. ） and pearl millet （ Pennisetum americanum （ L. ） Leeke）. [ Method ] The forages were pretreated with sulfuric acid at different concentration, and then the content of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were detected and compared with that before pretreatment. The concentration of glucose and ethanol after different fermentation time was also determined. [ Result] After pretreatment, the content of cellulose increased, while that of hemicel- lulose and lignin decreased. After treatment with 1.0% （W/V） sulfuric acid, the four kinds of forages all had the highest concentration of ethanol in the citric acid-sodium citrate buffer system （pH 4.8）. Dudng fermentation process, the concentration of glucose and ethanol first increased and then declined, peaking respectively at 24 h and 48 h post fermentation. [Condusion] Pretreatment promotes the enzymatic saccharification and fermen- tation of alfalfa, sorehum hvbrid sudan orass. Dead millet, and erect milkvetch, and their enerov performance decreases in order.

Technical Regulations for Planting of Forage Sorghum in Hebei Province

According to the summary of many years of experiments, the application scope, basic demands, preparation before seeding, seeding demands, field management, mowing and harvesting, and other technical requirements of technical regulations for planting of forage sweet sorghum were studied, and specific measures and technical indicators of the technical regulations were analyzed, aiming to provide normalized, standardized, industrial and marketization technical support for the planting of forage sweet sorghum.

Effects of Planting Density and Row Spacing on Grass Yield of Forage Sweet Sorghum(Sorghum bicolor [L.]Moench)

[Objective] The aim was to explore high-yielding cultivation techniques for forage sweet sorghum. [Method[ The effects of planting density and row spacing on plant productivity and grass yield of forage sweet sorghum （Sorghum bicolor （L.） Moench） were compared using split-plot design and LSD method of IBMSPSSStatis- ticsv22. [Result]The planting density and row spacing had important influence on the plant productivity and yield of forage sweet sorghum. The optimum planting density- row spacing combination for plant productivity of forage sweet sorghum was A1B,, i. e., planting density of 75 000 plants/hm2 and row spacing of 40 cm, and the opti- mum combination for yield of forage sweet sorghum was A2B,, i.e., planting density of 225 000 plants/hm2 and row spacing of 40 cm. [Conclusion] This study will pro- vide theoretical basis and technical support for the production practice of forage sweet sorghum.

“福瑞至”(Forage plus)燕麦区域试验报告

为进一步研究"福瑞至"燕麦在四川的生产性能及适应性,2016年5月至2018年7月,以国审品种"青引2号"燕麦和"阿坝"燕麦为对照,在成都市大邑县、甘孜州道孚县、凉山州布拖县对"福瑞至"燕麦进行了多年多点的区域试验。结果表明:在3个试验点连续2年的区域试验中,"福瑞至"燕麦生长良好,生产性能表现优良,鲜草产量为48769.17~58394.19kg/hm^2,干草产量为11429.46~15664.35 kg/hm^2,种子产量为2406.68~2598.745kg/hm^2,均高于或显著高于对照品种。其中,"福瑞至"燕麦鲜草产量和干草产量比对照"阿坝"燕麦增产28.31%~46.18%和28%~45.47%,比"青引2号"燕麦增产10.92%~53.14%和25.98%~48.07%;"福瑞至"燕麦种子产量与"阿坝"燕麦差异不显著,但显著高于"青引2号"燕麦,增产30.05%~40.67%。多年多点分析表明,"福瑞至"燕麦草产量较对照品种具有突出的丰产性和稳定性,在四川成都、甘孜道孚和凉山布拖均具有较强的适应性。

Chemical composition and in vitro fermentation characteristics of high sugar forage sorghum as an alternative to forage maize for silage making in Tarim Basin, China

The chemical composition, mineral profile and in vitro fermentation characteristics of maize （MZ）, high sugar forage sorghum （HS） and forage sorghum （FS）, and silages made from each forage type were measured. The MZ and MZ silage （MZS） had higher crude protein, starch and ether extract contents than both sorghum forages and sorghum silages. HS had higher ash and water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations than FS and MZ. MZ, MZS, HS and HS silage （HSS） had lower neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin than FS and FS silage （FSS）. FSS had higher dry matter （DM） and pH than MZS and HSS. HSS contained higher concentrations of P and K than FSS and MZS. MZS and HSS had higher in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility, CH4 production, total volatile fatty acids, acetate and propionate than FSS. pH was higher for FSS than for HSS, and ammonia was lower for HSS than for MZS and FSS. HSS had higher gas production than MZS and FSS after 2, 4, 6 and 8 h incubation. MZS had higher gas production than HSS and FSS after 26 and 28 h of incubation. The results indicate that HS may substitute for MZ to make good quality silage. However, animal studies are needed to assess the acceptability and feeding values of HSS vs. MZS for ruminant production.

Accuracy comparison of dry matter intake prediction models evaluated by a feeding trial of lactating dairy cows fed two total mixed rations with different forage source

Dry matter intake （DMI） prediction models of NRC （2001）, Fox et aL （2004） and Fuentes-Pila et aL （2003） were targeted in the present study, and the objective was to evaluate their prediction accuracy with feeding trial data of 32 lactating Holstein cows fed two total mixed rations with different forage source. Thirty-two cows were randomly assigned to one of two total mixed ration groups： a ration containing a mixed forage （MF） of 3.7% Chinese wildrye, 28.4% alfalfa hay and 26.5% corn silage diet and another ration containing 33.8% corn stover （CS） as unique forage source. The actual DMI was greater in MF group than in CS group （P=0.064）. The NRC model to predict DMI resulted in the lowest root mean square prediction error for both MF and CS groups （1.09 kg d-1 vs. 1.28 kg d-1） and the highest accuracy and precision based on concordance correlation coefficient for both MF and CS diet （0.89 vs. 0.87）. Except the NRC model, the other two models presented mean and linear biases in both MF and CS diets when prediction residuals were plotted against predicted DMI values （P〈0.001）. The DMI variation in MF was caused by week of lactation （55.6%）, milk yield （13.9%）, milk fat percentage （7.1%） and dietary neutral detergent fiber （13.3%）, while the variation in CS was caused by week of lactation （50.9%）, live body weight （28.2%）, milk yield （8.4%）, milk fat percentage （5.2%） and dietary neutral detergent fibre （3.8%）. In a brief, the NRC model to predict DMI is comparatively acceptable for lactating dairy cows fed two total mixed rations with different forage source.

Diversity shifts of rumen bacteria induced by dietary forages in dairy cows and quantification of the changed bacteria using a new primer design strategy

The partial 16 S r RNA gene sequences（100 to 500 bp） were widely used to reveal rumen bacterial composition influenced by diets, while quantification of the changed uncultured bacteria was inconvenient due to difficult designing of specific primers based on short sequences. This study evaluated the effect of forage resources on rumen bacterial diversity and developed new strategy for primer design based on short sequences to quantify the changed uncultured bacteria. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis（DGGE） analysis and subsequent band sequencing were used to reveal the distinct rumen bacteria composition in cows fed with two forage sources（single corn stover vs. mixed forages including alfalfa hay and corn silage）. The bacterial diversity in the rumen of dairy cows fed with corn stover was lower than that with mixed forages（P0.05）. The bacterium named R-UB affiliating to uncultured Succinivibrionaceae was identified, and it was abundant in the rumen of cows fed with mixed forages compared to corn stover. The full length 16 S r RNA gene sequences with identity of 97% to the R-UB 16 S r RNA gene sequence were obtained from Gen Bank and used to design specific primers to quantify uncultured bacterium R-UB. All sequences of amplicon from the new primers were of 100% identity to R-UB sequences indicating the high specificity of new primers. Quantitative PCR confirmed that abundance of R-UB in the rumen of cows fed with corn stover was lower than those fed with mixed forages（P0.01）. New strategy for designing primers based on partial 16 S r RNA genes to quantify targeted uncultured bacteria was successfully developed. The rumen bacteria descending significantly in the cows fed corn stover compared to those fed mixed forages was identified as uncultured R-UB from Succinivibrionaceae.

The control of soil polarization in Populus simonii and Quercus liaotungensis forests by forage litter on the Loess Plateau,P. R. China

Soil polarization in pure forest stands affects the stability and sustainable development of the ecosystem. The most effective approaches to the prevention of soil polarization may be the use of forage litter as fertilizer or the direct establishment of tree-grass communities. We investigated monospecific plantations of Populus simonii and Quercus liaotungensis. Such plantations have been established throughout the Loess Plateau of China. A 120-day decomposition incubation experiment with forest humus soil mixed with 7 common leguminous forage litterspecies was performed to study the uses of forage litter in controlling soil polarization in pure forests. The addition of forage litter of Astragalus adsurgens, Lespedeza bicolor, and Vicia viUosa to the soil of pure P. simonii forest clearly improved the soil quality, these forage species are suitable for planting with P. simonii, whereas Melilotus officinalis, Medicago sativa, and Onobrychis viciifolia litter produced obvious deterioration, thus these forages should not be planted with P. simonii. Coronilla varia litter showed no significant influence. The addition of forage litter of M. sativa to the soil of pure Q. liaotungensis forest clearly improved the soil quality, and C. varia and V. villosa also yielded improvements but were slightly less effective than M. sativa litter, these forages are suitable to be planted with Q. liaotungensis. However, L. bicolor showed obvious deterioration, followed by O. viciifolia and A. adsurgens, and M. officinalis had no significant influence. These spe- cies should not be planted with Q. liaotungensis.

Effects of Plant Density on Forage Nutritive Value of Whole Plant Corn

In the field experiment, the effects of plant densities (75 000, 112 500 and 150 000 plants ha-1) on forage nutritive value of whole plant corn (WPC) were studied from 1999 to 2001. The results demonstrated that with the increasing of plant density, the forage matter yield per plant corn decreased significantly, while the fresh matter and dry matter per hectare corn increased significantly, and a higher grains yield was gotten at higher plant densities. Forage nutritive quality of whole plant corn was changed as plant density increased, the crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), nitrogen free extract (NFE) and general energy (GE) yields increased obviously. Increas- ing plant density reasonably with the application of plant growth regulators could improve plant properties, harvest more forage matter, and enhance forage nutritive value of WPC.

The genome of Medicago polymorpha provides insights into its edibility and nutritional value as a vegetable and forage legume

Medicago polymorpha is a nutritious and palatable forage and vegetable plant that also fixes nitrogen.Here,we reveal the chromosome-scale genome sequence of M.polymorpha using an integrated approach including Illumina,PacBio and Hi-C technologies.We combined PacBio full-length RNA-seq,metabolomic analysis,structural anatomy analysis and related physiological indexes to elucidate the important agronomic traits of M.polymorpha for forage and vegetable usage.The assembled M.polymorpha genome consisted of 457.53Mb with a long scaffold N50 of 57.72Mb,and 92.92%(441.83Mb)of the assembly was assigned to seven pseudochromosomes.Comparative genomic analysis revealed that expansion and contraction of the photosynthesis and lignin biosynthetic gene families,respectively,led to enhancement of nutritious compounds and reduced lignin biosynthesis in M.polymorpha.In addition,we found that several positively selected nitrogen metabolism-related genes were responsible for crude protein biosynthesis.Notably,the metabolomic results revealed that a large number of flavonoids,vitamins,alkaloids,and terpenoids were enriched in M.polymorpha.These results imply that the decreased lignin content but relatively high nutrient content of M.polymorpha enhance its edibility and nutritional value as a forage and vegetable.Our genomic data provide a genetic basis that will accelerate functional genomic and breeding research on M.polymorpha as well as other Medicago and legume plants.