Rooting of Pinus radiata somatic embryos: factors involved in the success of the process

In vitro conditions of the culture media, plant growth regulators and culture containers may cause anatomical and physiological changes that have negative effects on rooting and ex vitro acclimatization of somatic plantlets. The control of these factors could contribute to the improvement of somatic embryogenesis systems in conifers, especially in pines. The influence of macronutrient concentrations, explant type and culture containers in Pinus radiata D. Don in vitro somatic embryo rooting were analyzed. The highest rooting percentage was observed using half-strength macronutrient concentrations, complete micronutrients and vitamins of Quoirin and Lepoivre medium. Although the use of glass culture vessels was the best to increase the efficiency of the somatic embryogenesis process in terms of rooting, the use of ventilated containers resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of plants able to be planted in the field.

Replacement of Cereal with Low Starch Fibrous By-Products on Nutrients Utilization and Methane Emissions in Dairy Goats

Feeding systems for dairy ruminants need to ensure high intake of energy to achieve maximum milk production potential. This might be accomplished by raising the dietary concentration of cereal grain. Increasing the concentration of starch in diets can lead to undesirable ruminal fermentation, and to prevent it, the partial replacement of cereal grain with low starch by-product feeds is recommended. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of fed two mixed diets to dairy goats differing in the type of carbohydrate (starch vs. easily degradable fiber). Energy and nitrogen balance, short chain fatty acids in rumen liquor and milk performance in dairy goats during mid lactation were determined. Enteric methane (CH4) emissions and CH4 production from manure were determined as well. Ten multiparous Muciano-Granadina goats were assigned to two isoenergetic and isoproteic diets (19.1 MJ/kg dry matter (DM) and 18.1% of CP, DM basis) in a crossover design. One group was fed a mixed ration with 21.9% of starch (HS diet) and the other (LS diet) with 7.0% of starch. HS diet had 36% of barley (as source of starch) and it was replaced with soy hulls and corn gluten feed in LS diet (as potentially digestible fiber). No differences were observed for dry matter intake in both diets (2.05 kg/d, on average). A significant increase of ruminal acetic acid was found for low starch diet (66.4 and 56.6 mol/100 mol for LS and HS diet, respectively). No significant effect was found among diets for enteric CH4 emissions (28.5 g/d, on average). Manure derived maximum potential yield was (Bo) higher in HS diet, with 5.9 L CH4/kg OM vs. 0.28 L CH4/kg OM for LS diet, probably associated with the low ADF digestibility. Differences among diets were found for milk production (2.4 vs. 2.2 kg/d for HS and LS, respectively), and greater milk fat was observed with LS diet compared with HS (6.4% vs. 5.5%, respectively).

Role of Organic Matter and Carbonates in Soil Aggregation Estimated Using Laser Diffractometry

>Aggregation in many soils in semi-arid land is affected by their high carbonate contents.The presence of lithogenic and/or primary carbonates can also inffuence the role of soil organic matter(SOM) in aggregation.The role of carbonates and SOM in aggregation was evaluated by comparing the grain-size distribution in two carbonate-rich soils(15% and 30% carbonates) under conventional tillage after different disaggregating treatments.We also compared the effect of no-tillage and conventional tillage on the role of these two aggregating agents in the soil with 30% of carbonates.Soil samples were treated as four different ways:shaking with water(control),adding hydrochloric acid(HCl) to remove carbonates,adding hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) to remove organic matter,and consecutive removal of carbonates and organic matter(HCl + H2O2),and then analyzed by laser diffraction grain-sizing.The results showed that different contributions of carbonates and SOM to aggregate formation and stability depended not only on their natural proportion,but also on the soil type,as expressed by the major role of carbonates in aggregation in the 15% carbonate-rich soil,with a greater SOC-to-SIC(soil organic C to soil inorganic C) ratio than the 30% carbonate-rich soil.The increased organic matter stocks under no-tillage could moderate the role of carbonates in aggregation in a given soil,which meant that no-tillage could affect the organic and the inorganic C cycles in the soil.In conclusion,the relative role of carbonates and SOM in aggregation could alter the aggregates hierarchy in carbonate-rich soils.