Effects of Molasses-Urea Supplementation on Weight Gain,Ruminal Fermentation and Major Microbe Populations of Winter-Grazing Sheep in Inner Mongolia

The present experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Molasses-Urea Supplementation （MUS） on weight gain, ruminal fermentation and major microbial populations in sheep on a winter grazing regime in Inner Mongolia. Total 40 sheep, allowed free consumption of MUS after grazing, served as a treatment group, while 30 sheep, fed only by pasture grazing, served as a control group. Ruminal fermentation parameters, consisted of pH, Bacterial Crude Protein （BCP） and ammonia nitrogen （NH3-N） were measured. In addition, numbers of five symbiotic bacteria were investigated. The results showed as follows： the average daily weight gain, concentration of NH3-N and numbers of protozoa were significantly higher （p〈0.05） in the treatment group than those in the control group. Contrastingly, no significant difference was found in BCP concentration and pH between the two groups. At the end of the experiment, the populations of Selenomonas ruminantium, Anaerovibrio lipolytica, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flaveciens and Ruminococcus albus in the treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group （p〈0.05）. These results demonstrated that greater weight gain could be induced during winter in Inner Mongolia by improved nutritional status through promotion of microbial populations using urea and sugar.

Anastomosis Groups and Pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia solani from Potato in Inner Mongolia

A total of 148 samples of potato black scurf were collected from 15 potato producing counties in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, and the strains were identified to be Rhizoctonia solani. The collected R. solani strains were grouped into three types, fast growth, slow growth and medium growth, based on the mycelial growth rate. Most of the fungi isolated were of fast and medium growth types. To examine the anastomosis groups of isolated R. solani strains, the isolated strains were co-cultured with anastomosis standard strains on sterile slide glass, and the occurrence of mycelial fusion was observed under microscope. The examination results indicated that 45 strains(73.77%), four strains(6.56%), and three strains(4.92%) belonged to AG-3, AG-1-IB and AG-2 anastomosis groups, respectively, while nine strains(14.75%) did not belong to any anastomosis groups above. These results suggested that the dominant strains causing potato black scurf in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were mainly R. solani AG-3. To test the pathogenicity of different anastomosis groups of R. solani, the potato tubers were planted with soil infected by isolated fungi. The results showed that all the tested fungi were able to cause typical symptoms of potato black scurf on tubers and stalk, but their pathogenicity levels varied. Moreover, it was found that the mycelial growth rate was positively correlated with their pathogenicity.

Status, Distribution and Ecological Risk Assessment of Persistent Toxic Substances in Suburban Agricultural Soils in Hohhot City, North China

A total of 52 soil samples of Hohhot City were collected and four heavy metals and eight organochlorine pesticides were analyzed. The results showed that Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb in soil were in range of 20.54 - 48.15 mg/kg, 40.10 - 94.60 mg/kg, 35.14 - 110.48 mg/kg, 38.86g - 245.36 mg/kg, with a mean value of 37.24 mg/kg, 60.76 mg/kg, 80.49 mg/kg, and 145.99 mg/kg, respectively. The high degree of variation of Pb, Zn, and Cu, reflected that the heavy metals were mainly interfered by human factors. The content values of ∑DDTs ranged from 5.01 ng/g to 105.08 ng/g with a mean of 36.94 ng/g, while the ∑HCHs ranged from 6.52 ng/g to 48.65 ng/g with an average of 23.29 ng/g, indicated that DDTs were highly used than HCHs in the study area. The relatively low α-HCH/γ-HCH ratio and relatively high o,p’-DDT/p,p’-DDT ratio indicated the application of lindane and dicofol on regional agricultural soil. The mean Igeo values was Pb (2.9) > Cu (1.5) > Cr (-0.31) > Zn (-0.35), revealing that the soil in Hohhot City was not polluted by Cr and Zn (Igeo 0), moderate polluted by Cu (1 Igeo 2), moderate to heavy pollution by Pb (2 Igeo 3). The range of potential ecological risk index of metals was from 35.02 to 132.96, indicating low to moderate potential ecological risk. HCHs in all soil samples were less than 50 ng/g, which could be considered as unpolluted, while DDTs in several samples were between 50 and 500 ng/g, which could be regarded as having low pollution.

Promotion and Inhibition of Ruminal Epithelium Growth by Butyric Acid and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1(IGF-1) in Dairy Goats

Isolated ruminal epithelia from caudal blind sacs of dairy goats were incubated with butyrate and insulin-like growth factor-1（IGF-1） at different concentrations. Proportions of ruminal epithelium in different phases of the cell division cycle were determined by flow cytometric analysis. The proportion of epithelial cells in S phase and G2-M phase（PS＆G2-M） increased significantly（P〈0.01） whereas the proportion of epithelial cells in G0-G1 phase（PG0-G1） decreased after incubation with IGF-1. PS＆G2-M decreased whereas PG0-G1 increased markedly（P〈0.01） after incubation with sodium butyrate. PS＆G2-M incubated with IGF-1 and butyrate sodium together increased more than that incubated with IGF-1 alone; PG0-G1, however, decreased significantly（P〈0.01）. Our results indicate that IGF-1 enhances whereas sodium butyrate inhibits the proliferation of rumen epithelial cells. Furthermore, butyrate and IGF-1, together, have a synergic effect on the proliferation of rumen epithelium.

Effect of Supplementary Feeding on Growth Performance and Ruminal Fermentation in Winter Season Grazing Sheep

The experiment was conducted with twenty-four grazing sheep divided into 3 experimental groups on the basis of body weights,i.e.control,optimal and non-optimal groups to study the effect of optimized supplementation on growth performance and rumen fermentation characteristics of grazing sheep in winter.The sheep in control were grazing only,whereas the grazing sheep in the optimal were supplemented with 250 g of an optimal forage mix and 404 g of concentrate1.The animals in non-optimal were supplemented with 465 g of concentrate 2.Weight gain rate in the optimal increased by 1.2% and 15.3 % as compared to that of the non-optimal and control group,respectively.Ruminal fermentation parameters were not significantly different between the optimal and non-optimal groups,however,they were significantly improved compared to the control.These results indicated that optimized supplementation strategies in winter were beneficial for markedly improving growth performance and rumen fermentation characteristics of grazing sheep.

Land Demand and Land Use Regulation for the Building of International Tourist Island in Hainan Province

We conduct analysis on the urban construction's demand for land, tourism's demand for land, infant industry's demand for land and infrastructure's demand for land in Hainan Province, respectively, and forecast the amount of newly-added land in Hainan Province in 2015 compared to 2008. Based on regional characteristics, we analyze the main problems in land use in Hainan Province, and work out the regional land use regulation plan, to provide scientific guidance for the building of International tourist island in Hainan Province.

Effects of Chrysanthemum coronarium Extract on Fermentation Characteristics and Biohydrogenation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in vitro Batch Culture

Introduction Cis-9,trans-11 CLA has been shown to be potentially health-promoting CLA in many animal models.The C18:1 trans-11 fatty acid(VA) is also desirable as a product flowing from the rumen,because the flow from the rumen of VA play a more important role than CLA in determining CLA concentration in animal tissues.

The Metabolic Changes of the Mixed Fruit Flavor Meal in the Arterio-venous Difference of Dairy Cow Mammary Gland

Introduction Milk favored by consumers because milk contain a large number of nutrients,such as protein,amino acids,fat,lactose,a variety of vitamins,immune activity factors,essential minerals and so on,and the proportion of the nutrients is very reasonable and those nutrients are easy to digest and absorb.So,milk is nearly a perfect food.

The Effects of Mixed Fruit Flavor Meal on Epithelial Cell Growth and Cycle as well as Milk Composition in Dairy Cow Mammary Epithelial Cell

Introduction Milk favored by consumers because milk contain a large number of nutrients,such as protein,amino acids,fat,lactose,a variety of vitamins,immune activity factors,essential minerals and trace elements and so on,and the proportion of these nutrients is very reasonable and easy to digest and absorb,so milk is nearly a perfect food.

Study on the Effects of Increasing Production Rate of Ruminal Acetate and Butyrate on Their Absorption and Passage in Alimentary Tract of Sheep

Six Inner Mongolian semifine-wool wethers(1.5 years old,29-31 kg BW) fitted with a ruminal and a duodenum cannula were used to study the effects of increasing production rate of ruminal acetate and butyrate on their absorption and passage in alimentary tract by simulating continuous feeding and pulse-continuous infusion technology.The sheep

Warming and increased precipitation alter soil carbon cycling in a temperate desert steppe of Inner Mongolia

Warming and precipitation are key global change factors driving soil carbon(C)dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems.However,the effects of warming and altered precipitation on soil microbial diversity and functional genes involved in soil C cycling remain largely unknown.We investigated the effects of warming and increased precipitation on soil C cycling in a temperate desert steppe of Inner Mongolia using metagenomic sequencing.We found that warming reduced plant richness,Shannon-Wiener and Simpson index.In contrast,increased precipitation signifcantly infuenced Shannon-Wiener and Simpson index.Warming reduced soil microbial species by 5.4%while increased precipitation and warming combined with increased precipitation led to increases in soil microbial species by 23.3%and 2.7%,respectively.The relative abundance of Proteobacteria,which involve C cycling genes,was signifcantly increased by warming and increased precipitation.Warming signifcantly reduced the abundance of GAPDH(Calvin cycle)and celF(cellulose degradation)while it enhanced the abundance of glxR(lignin degradation).Increased precipitation signifcantly enhanced the abundance of pgk(Calvin cycle),coxL(carbon monoxide oxidation),malZ(starch degradation),and mttB(methane production).Moreover,a wide range of correlations among soil properties and C cycling functional genes was detected,suggesting the synergistic and/or antagonistic relationships under scenario of global change.These results may suggest that warming is benefcial to soil C storage while increased precipitation negatively affects soil C sequestration.These fndings provide a new perspective for understanding the response of microbial communities to warming and increased precipitation in the temperate desert steppe.

Straw interlayer improves sunflower root growth:Evidence from moisture and salt migration and the microbial community in saline-alkali soil

A straw interlayer added to soil can effectively reduce soil salinity effects on plant growth,however,the effects of soil moisture,salt and microbial community composition on plant growth under a straw interlayer are unclear.A rhizobox study was conducted to investigate the role of straw interlayer thickness on soil moisture,salt migration,microbial community composition,as well as root growth in sunflower.The study included four treatments:Control(no straw interlayer);S3(straw interlayer of 3.0 cm);S5(straw interlayer of 5.0 cm);S7(straw interlayer of 7.0 cm).Straw interlayer treatments increased soil moisture by 8.2–11.0%after irrigation and decreased soil salt content after the bud stage in 0–40 cm soil.Total root length,total root surface area,average root diameter,total root volume and the number of root tips of sunflower plants were higher under straw interlayer treatments than in the control,and were the highest under the S5 treatment.This stimulated root growth was ascribed to the higher abundance of Chloroflexi and Verrucomicrobia bacteria in soil with a straw interlayer,which was increased by 55.7 and 54.7%,respectively,in the S5 treatment.Addition of a straw interlayer of 5 cm thickness is a practical and environmentally feasible approach for improving sunflower root growth in saline-alkali soil.

Estimation of herbage intake and digestibility of grazing sheep in Zhenglan Banner of Inner Mongolia by using n-alkanes

To reveal the seasonal dynamics of herbage intake, diet composition and digestibility and clarify the relationship of those with herbage nutrient and botanical composition of grazing sheep in Zhenglan Banner of Inner Mongolia, the n-alkane technique was used to test in sheep grazed during June, August and December. The results showed that the sheep mainly ate Fringed sagebrush, Stipa krylovii and Carex in proportions of 33.5,17.9 and 21.2%, respectively, in spring. In summer, the sheep consumed cleistogenes,Potentilla tanacetifolia, Thyme, etc; the intake of Fringed sagebrush, Carex and Stipa declined. In winter,Fringed sagebrush accounted for 50.1% of herbage intake, and the intakes of Cleistogenes and Stipa krylovii increased to 15.3 and 18.4%, respectively. Herbage intake by the sheep in spring was 1.8 kg DM/d, and digestibility was 71.4%. Herbage intake and digestibility decreased slightly to 1.7 kg DM/d and 68.4%during the summer, respectively and decreased significantly to 1.2 kg DM/d and 36.4% in winter. There were significant correlations between diet composition and CP content in winter, diet composition and botanical composition in summer. A highly positive correlation between herbage intake and digestibility was observed in grazing sheep.

Rumen fermentation and bacterial communities in weaned Chahaer lambs on diets with different protein levels

We evaluatedthe effects of diets with different crude protein （CP） levels on growth performance, rumen fermentation and bacterial communities in weaned Chahaer lambs. 128 weaned Chahaer lambs （（20.56±1.43） kg body weight; ram：ewe 1：1） aged （61±1.85） d were randomly alotted to one of four diets with CP content of 11.17% （T1）, 12.06% （T2）, 13.40% （T3） or 14.36% （T4）.Ruminal fermentation parameters were measured and bacterial communities were analysed using PCR-dena-turing gradient gel electrophoresis （PCR-DGGE） and quantitative PCR. The average daily gain and feed utilization efifciency in T3 were higher than those in the other groups （P〈0.05）, although the dry matter intake and metabolizable energy intake were similar. Total volatile fatty acid concentration in the ruminal lfuid of T3 was lower than that of T1 （P=0.011）, T2 （P=0.008） or T4 （P=0.309）. The ammonia nitrogen concentration and acetate/propionate ratio of ruminal lfuid were signiifcantly higher in lambs fed the higher CP diets, whereas the molar concentrations of propionate and butyrate of ruminal lfuid were lower. The rumen bacterial community was similar in T2 and T3 which shown more stable and diverse rumen microbes ecosystem compared with the other groups. The DGGE proifles and phylogenetic tree indicated thatBacteroides uniformis,Clostrid-iumalkalicellulosi,Alkalibaculum bacchiandSaccharofermentanssp.were common bacterium of Chahaer lamb rumen. B. uniformis,C.alkalicelulosi,Saccharofermentanssp. andGracilibacter thermotolerans,which belong to the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutesphyla,were the dominant species in the rumen of lambs fed 13.40% CP.However,Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus lfavefaciensand Butyrivibrio ifbrisolvenswerenot differentin lambs fed different CP diets. Therefore, it could be concluded thatB. uniformis,C.alkalicelulosi,A. bacchiandSaccharofermentanssp.were common bacteria of Chahaer lamb rumen. Furthermore, the dietary CP of 13.04% could improve performance and change rumen fermentation model by increasing the dominant species’ peak intensities ofB. uniformis,C.alkalicelulosi,Saccharofermentanssp. and Gracilibacter thermotoleransand stabilizing rumen microbial ecosystem.

Sunflower response to potassium fertilization and nutrient requirement estimation

Field experiments were conducted in oil and edible sunflower to study the effects of potassium(K) fertilization on achene yield and quality, and to estimate the nutrient internal efficiency(IE) and nutrient requirement in sunflower production. All trials in edible sunflower and 75% trials in oil sunflower showed positive yield responses to K fertilization. Compared with control without K fertilization, the application of K increased achene yield by an average of 406 kg ha–1for oil sunflower and 294 kg ha–1for edible sunflower. K application also increased 1 000-achene weight and kernel rate of both oil and edible sunflower. K fertilization improved the contents of oil, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid in achenes of oil sunflower, and increased contents of oil, total unsaturated fatty acid and protein in achenes of edible sunflower. The average agronomic efficiency of K fertilizer was 4.0 for oil sunflower and 3.0 kg achene kg–1K2O for edible sunflower. The average IE of N, P and K under balanced NPK fertilization was 22.9, 82.8, and 9.9 kg kg–1for oil sunflower, and 27.3, 138.9, and 14.3 kg kg–1for edible sunflower. These values were equivalent to 45.5, 14.1, and 108.1 kg, and 39.0, 8.0, and 71.7 kg of N, P and K, respectively, in above-ground dry matter required for production per ton of achenes. The average harvest index of N, P and K was 0.47, 0.56 and 0.05 kg kg–1in oil sunflower, and 0.58, 0.58 and 0.14 kg kg–1in edible sunflower.

MDR:an integrative DNA N6-methyladenine and N4-methylcytosine modification database for Rosaceae

Eukaryotic DNA methylation has been receiving increasing attention for its crucial epigenetic regulatory function.The recently developed single-molecule real-time(SMRT)sequencing technology provides an efficient way to detect DNA N6-methyladenine(6mA)and N4-methylcytosine(4mC)modifications at a single-nucleotide resolution.The family Rosaceae contains horticultural plants with a wide range of economic importance.However,little is currently known regarding the genome-wide distribution patterns and functions of 6mA and 4mC modifications in the Rosaceae.In this study,we present an integrated DNA 6mA and 4mC modification database for the Rosaceae(MDR,http://mdr.xieslab.org).MDR,the first repository for displaying and storing DNA 6mA and 4mC methylomes from SMRT sequencing data sets for Rosaceae,includes meta and statistical information,methylation densities,Gene Ontology enrichment analyses,and genome search and browse for methylated sites in NCBI.MDR provides important information regarding DNA 6mA and 4mC methylation and may help users better understand epigenetic modifications in the family Rosaceae.

Optimizing water management practice to increase potato yield and water use efficiency in North China

Potato is one of the staple food crops in North China.However,potato production in this region is threatened by the low amount and high spatial-temporal variation of precipitation.Increasing yield and water use efficiency(WUE)of potato by various water management practices under water resource limitation is of great importance for ensuring food security in China.However,the contributions of different water management practices to yield and WUE of potato have been rarely investigated across North China’s potato planting region.Based on meta-analysis of field experiments from the literature and model simulation,this study quantified the potential yields of potatoes without water and fertilizer limitation,and yield under irrigated and rainfed conditions,and the corresponding WUEs across four potato planting regions including the Da Hinggan Mountains(DH),the Foothills of Yanshan hilly(YH),the North foot of the Yinshan Mountains(YM),and the Loess Plateau(LP)in North China.Simulated average potential potato tuber dry weight yield by the APSIM-Potato Model was 12.4 t ha^(–1)for the YH region,11.4 t ha^(–1)for the YM region,11.2 t ha^(–1)for the DH region,and 10.7 t ha^(–1)for the LP region,respectively.Observed rainfed potato tuber dry weight yield accounted for 61,30,28 and 24%of the potential yield in the DH,YH,YM,and LP regions.The maximum WUE of 2.2 kg m^(–3)in the YH region,2.1 kg m^(–3)in the DH region,1.9 kg m^(–3)in the YM region and 1.9 kg m^(–3)in the LP region was achieved under the potential yield level.Ridge-furrow planting could boost yield by 8–49%and WUE by 2–36%while ridge-furrow planting with film mulching could boost yield by 35–89%and WUE by 7–57%across North China.Our study demonstrates that there is a large potential to increase yield and WUE simultaneously by combining ridge-furrow planting with film mulching and supplemental irrigation in different potato planting regions with limited water resources.

Optimization of the Sampling Method for Genetic Variation Survey in Maize Populations Using SSR Markers

In this study, single-plant DNA sampling method, multi-plant leaf-mixing DNA sampling method, and single-plant DNA-mixing sampling method were adopted, to analyze the genetic variations of Meng A population and C population 1 using SSR markers and establish the optimal technological system for analyzing genetic diversity of maize populations. DNA samples in different treatments were amplified using 34 SSR primers which were uniformly distributed in ten chromosomes of maize. Polyacrylamidc gel electrophoresis was performed to analyze the polymorphism information content and genetic similarity coefficient of 60 individuals and compare the numbers of alleles amplified from DNA samples in different treatments. The results indicated that Meng A population and C population 1 both had relatively abundant genetic variations and the established technological system could be applied in researches of maize genetic diversity. Extracting DNA samples from mixed leaves of 12 individuals with five replications is the best sampling method, which could achieve similar results to mixed DNA samples of 12 individuals. This sampling method can be applied to analyze the genetic relationship among a large number of maize populations, which can not only reduce the workload, but also significantly improve the efficiency.

Grading Index(GI):A New Integrated Technique for Evaluation of Forage Quality

Introduction Forage quality can be defined as the extent to which forage has the potential to produce a desired animal response or level of performance,for example,daily gain or milk production.Due to forage quality is a function of both animal and plant factors.It is difficult and complex to completely evaluate forage quality.Recently,

Effects of Non-fiber Carbohydrate to Neutral Detergent Fiber Ratios on Ruminal pH Dynamics in Dairy Goats

Introduction Subacute ruminal acidosis(SARA)has become common and important economic and health issues for high-yielding dairy cows.Rumen pH takes a central position in the pathogenesis of SARA.So monitoring of rumen pH is play important role in recognizing,quantifying and subsequently controlling this disorder. The objective of the