Additional Sowing Research Articles

Vaginal Birth Alters Gut Transcriptome of Neonatal Pigs

Background: Women at risk of preterm birth are routinely administered prenatal doses of glucocorticoids to facilitate lung maturation and improve pulmonary outcomes in preterm infants. Additionally, preterm infants are often administered low doses of glucocorticoids postnatally for prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However, there is limited understanding about the impact of perinatal glucocorticoid exposure on the gut and liver in preterm infants. In pigs, there is a spike in plasma cortisol in newborns during parturition. We previously showed in pigs that plasma cortisol levels positively correlate with plasma fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), a gut hormone that negatively regulates hepatic bile acid synthesis. FGF19 is secreted by epithelial cells predominantly in the distal ileum in response to bile acids. However, in vaginally-born pigs, FGF19 mRNA levels were higher in the proximal jejunum. This led us to hypothesize that exposure to glucocorticoids in the perinatal period has a profound impact on the transcription of genes involved in the development of gut and liver. Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the impact of spontaneous vaginal birth and the exposure to elevated cortisol on the transcriptome in gut and liver tissue of neonatal pigs Methods: Two sows underwent a cesarean section on gestation day 114 (“Term”; term=115 day), two sows underwent a cesarean section on gestation day 105 (“Preterm”) and two additional sows were allowed to farrow at term gestational age (“Vaginal”). Small intestine tissue and plasma was collected from newborn pigs (n= 10 Preterm; n=8 Term; n=6 Vaginal). RNA-seq analysis was performed on intestinal samples mapped to the latest Sus scrofa Sscrofa11.1 reference genome (NCBI). Results: Cortisol levels were statistically highest in the vaginally-born pigs (139 ng/mL), followed by the Term (101 ng/mL) and lowest in the Preterm (61 ng/mL) pigs. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed significant enrichment in pathways of upregulated genes involved in response to toxic substances, stress, detoxification and inorganic substances in the jejunum of Vaginal pigs compared to Preterm and Term pigs. KEGG analysis of the proximal jejunum indicated enrichment in pathways of upregulated genes in steroid hormone biosynthesis, bile secretion, TNF signaling and IL-17 Vaginal, compared to Term and Preterm pigs. The same pattern was not the same in the distal ileum where GO analysis showed pathway enrichment of upregulated genes in oxidation-reduction processes, and transition metal ion binding in Vaginal compared to Term and Preterm pigs. KEGG analysis of the distal ileum identified pathway enrichment of upregulated genes in complement and coagulation, bile acid synthesis and secretion, fatty acid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism in Vaginal pigs. Conclusion: Genes in metabolic and cellular signaling pathways associated with cortisol are upregulated in vaginally-born pigs. This work was supported in part by federal funds from the USDA, Agricultural Research Service under Cooperative Agreement Number 3092-51000-060-01, and grants from the National Institutes of Health Grant DK-094616 (D.G.B), and the Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center (NIH Grant P30 DK-56338). Caitlin Vonderohe was supported by T32 DK007664 and Greg Guthrie was supported by K01 DK129408. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Increased Circulating Cortisol After Vaginal Birth Is Associated With Increased FGF19 Secretion in Neonatal Pigs.

The influence of birth modality (scheduled cesarean or spontaneous vaginal) on the development of the newborn has been a source of controversy in neonatology. The impact of cesarean vs vaginal birth on the development of bile acid and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) signaling is unknown. Our aim was to determine the effect of birth modality and gestational age (preterm vs term) on plasma hormone levels, bile acid pool distribution, expression of genes in the bile acid-FXR-FGF19 pathway, and plasma levels of FGF19 at birth and on day 3 of life in neonatal pigs. Four sows underwent cesarean delivery on gestation day 105 (n = 2) and 114 (n = 2; term = 115 days), and 2 additional sows were allowed to farrow at term (gestation days 112 and 118). Piglets were euthanized at birth (Term-Vaginal n = 6; Term-Cesarean n = 8; Preterm n = 10) for tissue and blood collection, and the remaining pigs received total parenteral nutrition then were fed enterally on day 3 (Term-Vaginal n = 8; Term-Cesarean n = 10; Preterm n = 8), before blood and tissue were collected. Piglets born vaginally had a markedly (30-fold) higher plasma FGF19 at birth than term pigs born via cesarean delivery, and 70-fold higher than preterm pigs (P < 0.001). However, distal ileum FGF19 gene expression was similar in all groups (P > 0.05). Plasma FGF19 positively correlated with plasma cortisol (r = 0.58; P < 0.05) and dexamethasone treatment increased ileal FGF19 expression in cultured pig tissue explants and human enteroids. Our findings suggest that exposure to maternal or endogenous glucocorticoids in the perinatal period may upregulate the development of the bile acid-FGF19 pathway.

Productivity of mountain bows of the carpathians depending on surface improvement measures

Purpose. To determine the peculiarities of formation of productivity, as well as the chemical composition, nutritional value and energy intensity of grass forage, depending on the measures of surface improvement of the meadows of the Carpathian mountain forest zone. Methods. Field works, laboratory, mathematical-statistical. Results. Productivity of haymaking and perennial mowing fluctuated on the range of 2.15–4.77 t/ha and 1.95–4.11 t/ha during the 3-year research of dry mass yield. Compared to the variants without additional sowing of grasses and fertilizer use, the highest productivity of haymaking was upon the additional sowing of cereal grass mixtures and applying of N60P30K60 – 12 % and 85 %, respectively. Productivity of perennial mowing increased upon the additional sowing of Trifolium repens and applying of P30K60 on 85 % and 111 % respectively. The best uniformity of distribution of biomass crop by slopes was obtained by the use of multifaceted use of creeping clover with the introduction of P30K60, when the proportion of 1st slope was 39%, 2nd - 33 and 3rd – 28% with unevenness, which is expressed by the coefficient variation - 18%. Among the measures of surface improvement on the quality of feed by chemical composition, increasing, first of all, the content of crude protein, influenced by the introduction of N60P30K60 or 15 t / ha of manure, and in the case of multi-grade use - the sowing of clover on the background P30K60. Irrespective of the measures of surface improvement, higher crude protein content, better energy consumption and nutritious nutritional value of feed were characterized by a multi-use (pasture imitation) mode of use than hay. Conclusions. For surface improvement of the meadows of the Carpathian mountain forest belt with natural herbage, the annual application of N60P30K60, or 15 t / ha of manure, or – N60P30K60 + sowing of a mixture of grass meadows and sapwood with sapwood, on the grass meadows, is a factor of increasing their productivity and improving the quality of herbage. use or – P30K60 + clover seeding for high quality use. The best positive effect is the application of mineral fertilizers in combination with sowing of perennial grasses.

Influence of Plant Species and Grasslands Quality on Sequestration of Soil Organic Carbon

Abstract Soil carbon sequestration plays an important role in mitigating the anthropogenic increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Pastures and meadows are the significant localities for the deposition of soil organic carbon (SOC). The objective was the comparison of the impact of plant species and their quality on the deposition of SOC under the grasslands in 18 variants of meadows and pastures at the original unfertilized soils, the overfertilized soils by organic fertilizers in the form of excrements and the soils after the ecological regeneration by regrassing. The plots 5, 8, 9 and 10 were used on a long-term basis as old semi-natural sheep pastures from the 15 century. We took into consideration the deposits of SOC and Nt in soil. The old semi-natural pasture proved the most intensive transformation and accumulation of SOC (even 5.60%) and the highest values were measured in the depth I (0–100 mm) soil layer, the concentrations decreased along with the depth in all treatments. At these plots, there was the lowest yield of dry matter and quality (EGQ). The yield of dry matter in t.ha−1, the number of species, EGQ and C:N in the depth I with the significant impact on the species variability, which were selected by Monte-Carlo permutation test explain up to 47% of the total variability. According to the result of “forward selection” in RDA analysis, out of all significant factors, the number of species has the biggest impact on the total species variability, which represents 17% of the total variability. The total evaluation indicates that from the agricultural aspect of utilization, a more favourable quite high content of SOC was deposited at the ecologically regenerated grasslands by the additional sowing of the valuable autochthonous plant species.

Seed use in the field: delivering seeds for restoration success

Seed delivery to site is a critical step in seed‐based restoration programs. Months or years of seed collection, conditioning, storage, and cultivation can be wasted if seeding operations are not carefully planned, well executed, and draw upon best available knowledge and experience. Although diverse restoration scenarios present different challenges and require different approaches, there are common elements that apply to most ecosystems and regions. A seeding plan sets the timeline and details all operations from site treatments through seed delivery and subsequent monitoring. The plan draws on site evaluation data (e.g. topography, hydrology, climate, soil types, weed pressure, reference site characteristics), the ecology and biology of the seed mix components (e.g. germination requirements, seed morphology) and seed quality information (e.g. seed purity, viability, and dormancy). Plan elements include: (1) Site treatments and seedbed preparation to remove undesirable vegetation, including sources in the soil seed bank; change hydrology and soil properties (e.g. stability, water holding capacity, nutrient status); and create favorable conditions for seed germination and establishment. (2) Seeding requirements to prepare seeds for sowing and determine appropriate seeding dates and rates. (3) Seed delivery techniques and equipment for precision seed delivery, including placement of seeds in germination‐promotive microsites at the optimal season for germination and establishment. (4) A monitoring program and adaptive management to document initial emergence, seedling establishment, and plant community development and conduct additional sowing or adaptive management interventions, if warranted. (5) Communication of results to inform future seeding decisions and share knowledge for seed‐based ecological restoration.

INFLUENCE OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS AND FERTILIZERS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SPRING BARLEY WITH ADDITIONAL SOWING OF PERENNIAL GRASSES

Two-factor field experiment was carried out at the research and training station of Ivanovo State Agricultural Academy in 2015-2017. The aim of the research was to establish cooperation effect of various biological products and modified mineral fertilizers on the productivity of spring barley with additional sowing of perennial grasses. As a result of the studies, it was found that the highest average yield of barley grain - 2.13 t / ha, was revealed in the conditions of timothy grass additional sowing as a sub-cover crop. At the same time, the combination of biological preparations Mizorin + Rizoagrin proved to be most effective; on average, the yield of grain and straw with this combination was 2.33 t / ha and 3.42 t / ha, respectively. When choosing meadow clover as a sub-cover crop, the maximum data on grain and barley straw yields of 2.92 t / ha and 4.26 t / ha, respectively, were obtained from the use of combination of biological products Mycorrhiza + Rizoagrin on the background of modified fertilizers. Under conditions of sowing a mixture of clover and timothy, the highest yields of grain and barley straw were 2.94 t / ha and 4.29 t / ha, respectively, obtained from the use of the biological product Rizoagrin on the background of modified fertilizers. In the course of the field experiment, positive data on additional income and profitability were obtained on most options, which were maximal in the conditions of replanting a mixture of herbs. Moreover, the largest value of the additional conditionally net income is 21.2 thousand rubles obtained from the use ofpreparation Rizoagrin on the background of modified fertilizers. And the highest profitability is 91.8 % in the absence of presowing treatment of seeds.

INFLUENCE OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS AND FERTILIZERS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SPRING BARLEY WITH ADDITIONAL SOWING OF PERENNIAL GRASSES

Two-factor field experiment was carried out at the research and training station of Ivanovo State Ag-ricultural Academy in 2015-2017. The aim of the research was to establish cooperation effect of various biological products and modified mineral fertilizers on the productivity of spring barley with additional sowing of perennial grasses. As a result of the studies, it was found that the highest average yield of bar-ley grain - 2.13 t / ha, was revealed in the conditions of timothy grass additional sowing as a sub-cover crop. At the same time, the combination of biological preparations Mizorin + Rizoagrin proved to be most effective; on average, the yield of grain and straw with this combination was 2.33 t / ha and 3.42 t / ha, respectively. When choosing meadow clover as a sub-cover crop, the maximum data on grain and barley straw yields of 2.92 t / ha and 4.26 t / ha, respectively, were obtained from the use of combination of biological products Mycorrhiza + Rizoagrin on the background of modified fertilizers. Under condi-tions of sowing a mixture of clover and timothy, the highest yields of grain and barley straw were 2.94 t / ha and 4.29 t / ha, respectively, obtained from the use of the biological product Rizoagrin on the back-ground of modified fertilizers. In the course of the field experiment, positive data on additional income and profitability were obtained on most options, which were maximal in the conditions of replanting a mixture of herbs. Moreover, the largest value of the additional conditionally net income is 21.2 thousand rubles obtained from the use of preparation Rizoagrin on the background of modified fertilizers. And the highest profitability is 91.8 % in the absence of presowing treatment of seeds.

Predicting the establishment success of introduced target species in grassland restoration by functional traits.

Species‐rich semi‐natural grasslands are highly endangered habitats in Central Europe and numerous restoration efforts have been made to compensate for the losses in the last decades. However, some plant species could become more easily established than others. The establishment success of 37 species was analyzed over 6 years at two study sites of a restoration project in Germany where hay transfer and sowing of threshing material in combination with additional sowing were applied. The effects of the restoration method applied, time since the restoration took place, traits related to germination, dispersal, and reproduction, and combinations of these traits on the establishment were analyzed. While the specific restoration method of how seeds were transferred played a subordinate role, the establishment success depended in particular on traits such as flower season or the lifeform. Species flowering in autumn, such as Pastinaca sativa and Serratula tinctoria, became established better than species flowering in other seasons, probably because they could complete their life cycle, resulting in increasingly stronger seed pressure with time. Geophytes, like Allium angulosum and Galium boreale, became established very poorly, but showed an increase with study duration. For various traits, we found significant trait by method and trait by year interactions, indicating that different traits promoted establishment under different conditions. Using a multi‐model approach, we tested whether traits acted in combination. For the first years and the last year, we found that models with three traits explained establishment success better than models with a single trait or two traits. While traits had only an additive effect on the establishment success in the first years, trait interactions became important thereafter. The most important trait was the season of flowering, which occurred in all best models from the third year onwards. Overall, our approach revealed the potential of functional trait analysis to predict success in restoration projects.

New resource-saving design of the sowing device for fodder crops

The creation of a solid fodder base is based on the rational use of arable lands for meadows and pastures. In the system of measures to strengthen feed production, a selection of reliable, high-yielding fodder crops that can become a source of inexpensive and high-grade fodder, as well as the development and introduction into production of highly efficient agricultural machinery that provides the implementation of new technologies for sowing, growing, harvesting the process of harvesting quality forage, balanced on all elements of nutrients. A sowing device has been developed that allows without additional material and time costs to pass from the dotted sowing to the combined method without using additional sowing discs. The structural features of the device prevent seed from crushing and crumbling. The developed method and design of the pneumatic sowing device for the combined sowing of two crops in the same row with the same intervals between the seeds and their placement at different depths of the embankment allows to obtain savings in sowing areas, improve the environmental situation of the environment, by reducing the number of passes of the unit and obtaining a balanced feed for animal protein to simplify the design, making it easy to use and financially profitable. With such a sowing device it is possible to transfer relatively easily from the combined sowing to the dotted and, conversely, without additional costs (including temporary ones), which gives significant savings in terms of material and time indices. The seeder, equipped with pneumatic sowing devices of a new design, makes it possible to obtain fodder with the content of digested protein to 105-110 g, which increases milk yield per cow to 3000 kg per year.

Environmental impact assessment of double- and relay-cropping with winter camelina in the northern Great Plains, USA

Recent findings indicate that double- or relay-cropping winter camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz.) with, forage, or food crops can increase yield per area, improve energy balance, and provide several ecosystem services. Double-cropping can help balance food and energy production. The objective of this study was to determine the environmental impact of double- and relay-cropping systems as compared with monocultured maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in the Midwest, USA. Ten crop sequences composed of double- and relay-cropped forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] and soybean with winter camelina were evaluated and compared with their monoculture counterparts. The environmental aspects evaluated included global warming potential (GWP), abiotic depletion, acidification, eutrophication, ecotoxicity, and human toxicity. Additionally, provisioning and regulating ecosystem services were estimated, including: primary aboveground productivity, soil erosion, and biodiversity in each crop sequence. The analysis was conducted from ‘cradle-to-gate’, including only the agricultural phase. Global warming potential estimated by three different methods indicated that winter camelina as a monocrop had a GWP of 579 to 922kgCO2eha−1. Maize in monoculture had higher GWP than all other double- and relay-cropping systems studied. The higher emissions of double- and relay-cropping systems and maize can be explained by higher N fertilizer application, which led to greater field N2O emissions. Also, the additional sowing and harvesting of the double- or relay-crop increased CO2 emissions due to increased diesel use. Winter camelina as a monocrop had the lowest values in all impact categories, indicating camelina agricultural production phase has low environmental impact compared with maize and soybean in monoculture. Double- and relay- cropping systems increased primary productivity per unit area and biodiversity and reduced soil erosion potential. Increasing productivity with the additional environmental benefits of these systems may encourage more farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices.

Establishment of woody species across 26 years of revegetation on a Queensland coal mine

SummaryThe establishment success of woody plant species at 56 revegetation sites, four to 26 years old, across the Meandu open‐cut coal mine in south‐east Queensland was assessed. The revegetation process involved returning stockpiled topsoil, deep ripping and mechanical sowing of a mix of native seeds. Blakes Wattle (Acacia blakei) and less often Black Wattle (A. leiocalyx), both primarily derived from respread topsoil seed, dominate the vegetation canopy at 59% and 20% of revegetation sites, respectively. The additional sowing of seeds of many tree and shrub species within the sites has had limited success with most failing to persist or grow well. Revegetation management, for example selective thinning of acacias (Acacia spp.) saplings within the first 5 years is recommended to release the competition pressure on the poorly performing tree species. This will also allow opportunities for other less well represented shrub and herb species to persist. This study has shown that a range of tree and shrub species, including Eucalyptus spp., are performing poorly under the current revegetation regime, suggesting adjustments to revegetation species selection and/or methodologies are needed. The natural colonization of woody native species within the sites from nearby remnant vegetation is shown to be limited to only four species, and therefore is unlikely to significantly supplement the species diversity of the revegetation.

Enhancing success in grassland restoration by adding regionally propagated target species

The majority of grasslands of European interest are currently assessed as having an unfavorable conservation status. In order to fulfil the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 effort to restore the diversity of species-poor grasslands are required. Besides the improvement of site conditions by management agreements the active introduction of target species by the transfer of on-site harvested plant material is recommended. Starting in 2009, we tested different methods to optimize species-introduction on example of a lowland hay meadow located in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.We set up an experiment to introduce target grassland species in prepared strips with four restoration variants: hay transfer, sowing of threshing material, and both methods combined with additional sowing of a regional seed mixture. We expected that (1) all applied methods lead to increasing number and cover of characteristic grassland species, (2) hay transfer is more successful than transfer of threshing material, (3) the highest number and cover of target species is reached after additional sowing of regional seed mixtures, and (4) species spread out from treated strips into the adjacent untreated grassland. We evaluated the success of the restoration measures yearly over a timeframe of six years.The transfer of hay and the use of threshing material moderately increased the target species number. However, there were only slight differences concerning the establishment of target species between both introduction methods. In contrast, additional seeding of the regional seed mixture had a significant positive effect on the number of established target species. Many of the target species were solely established by additional seeding or were more frequently found on additionally seeded plots.Species spread into the adjacent undisturbed grassland during a period of six years. The frequency of target species recorded in the adjacent undisturbed grassland was clearly related to the distance to treated strips, thus strips served as seed-source within the matrix of the existing low-diversity grassland. However, as high frequencies were mostly found only a few metres apart from strips, the spread of species across an existing low-diversity grassland have to be seen as long-term process and should be facilitated by appropriate management measures.Depending on the availability of suitable donor sites and regionally propagated seed material, restoration practitioners and farmers can choose the most advantageous method of species introduction as all applied methods led to an increase in number and cover of characteristic grassland species compared to the untreated control. We recommend additional seeding especially if the species inventory of the donor sites is not entirely consistent with the target community, when abundances of specific target species on available donor sites in the surrounding area are too low, target species are difficult to harvest on-site because of a very early, respectively late, seed-setting time, or the donor grasslands are simply lacking some specific target species.

Vliv termínu využití a přísevu Festuca arundinacea a Festulolium na produkci zimní pastviny

The work was carried out to study the influence of additional sowing and differentiated systems of use in the summer period on the production of grass sward in the autumn and winter period. An additional sowing of Festuca arundinacea and Festulolium was made into the grass stand with dominating Festuca rubra, Taraxacum officinale, Agropyron repens, Dactylis glomerata, Trisetum flavescens, Agrostis stolonifera and Phleum pratense. In summer (preparatory cut), the grass stand was utilized in June, July and August. In the autumn (main use), it was utilized in November, December and January. The additional sowing, the preparatory cut and the main use were monitored for their influence on the yield of dry matter. Another assessment was made of the share of Festuca arundinacea and Festulolium in the harvested herbage. In June 2001, the share of additionally sown herb species in the harvested herbage did not exceed 2%. However, their proportion increased to more than 20% in four years of the study. In the summer period, the additional sowing did not show any significant effect on dry matter yields. The additionally sown herb species exhibited a pronounced dominance in November. The shares of Festuca arundinacea and Festulolium in the harvested herbage were 80.1% and 71.3%, respectively. Yields from the additionally sown grass stands were higher from the third year of the study (by 1.07–1.26 t.ha–1) than those from the grass stand with no additional sowing (0.66–0.97 t.ha–1) the variance being insignificant. In the autumn and in winter, a significant decrease (P &lt; 0.05) was seen in yields from the grass stand utilized until the beginning of August and the yields further decreased with the proceeding winter.

Influence of tillage intensity and nitrogen placement on nitrogen uptake and yield in strip-tilled white cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata var. alba)

Field grown vegetables with wide row spacing would likely benefit from the conservation tillage practice, strip-tillage, with regards to minimizing soil erosion or increasing soil moisture contents, but there are only few studies for strip-tilled vegetables at present. For this reason, a 2-year field experiment was performed in South West Germany to investigate the effect of strip-tillage under broadcast and placed nitrogen application on nitrogen availability and yield of white cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata var. alba). The treatments were fall strip-tillage (ST), intensive strip-tillage with tillage both in fall and spring (STi; all of them with broadcast nitrogen fertilization) and intensive strip-tillage with band-placed nitrogen (STi_pN). In 2013, a fifth treatment was added, which was ST additional sowing of Phacelia (Phacelia tannacetifolia) as a cover crop (ST_Phac). A conventional tillage treatment (MP; moldboard plowing) was used as the control. No significant differences in soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) were detected in spring (20±5kgNha−1) and at harvest time (5±0.9kgNha−1) between the MP and all strip-tillage treatments from 0–90cm soil depth, except for significantly lower SMN contents in ST_Phac in spring 2013 (5kgNha−1). During the growing period, the SMN contents in strip-tillage treatments tended to be higher than in the MP control. Results of nitrogen content in plants, N-uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) showed higher values under ST compared to the more intensive strip-tillage treatments (STi and STi_pN). The cabbage yield ranged between 65tha−1 (MP) and 74tha−1 (ST) in 2012 and 50tha−1 (STi_pN) and 58tha−1 (MP) in 2013. The fall strip-tillage treatment (ST) seems to be as effective as the conventional moldboard plowing for white cabbage in terms of N availability and yield. These results could be used to apply or improve strip-till systems with respect to other similar vegetables, which are (i) exposed to high erosion risk because of the wide row spaces and (ii) which are dependent on high N demand for adequate growth.

Influence of experimental soil disturbances on the diversity of plants in agricultural grasslands

Aims and Methods Disturbance is supposed to play an important role for biodiversity and ecosystem stability as described by the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH), which predicts highest species richness at intermediate levels of disturbances. In this study, we tested the effects of artificial soil distur bances on diversity of annual and perennial vascular plants and bryophytes in a field experiment in 86 agricultural grasslands differing in land use in two regions of Germany. On each grassland, we implemented four treatments: three treatments differing in application time of soil disturbances and one control. One year after experimental disturbance, we recorded vegetation and measured biomass productivity and bare ground. We analysed the disturbance response taking effects of region and land-use-accompanied disturbance regimes into account. Important Findings Region and land-use type strongly determined plant species richness. Experimental disturbances had small positive effects on the species richness of annuals, but none on perennials or bryophytes. Bare ground was positively related to species richness of bryophytes. However, exceeding the creation of 12% bare ground further distur bance had a detrimental effect on bryophyte species richness, which corresponds to the IDH. As biomass productivity was unaffected by disturbance our results indicate that the disturbance effect on species richness of annuals was not due to decreased overall productivity, but rather due to short-term lowered inter- and intraspecific competition at the newly created microsites. Generally, our results highlight the importance of soil disturbances for species richness of annual plants and bryophytes in agricultural grasslands. However, most grasslands were disturbed naturally or by land-use practices and our additional experimental soil disturbances only had a small short-term effect. Overall, total plant diversity in grasslands seemed to be more limited by the availability of propagules rather than by suitable microsites for germination. Thus, nature conservation efforts to increase grassland diversity should focus on overcoming propagule limitation, for instance by additional sowing of seeds, while the creation of additional open patches by disturbance might only be appropriate where natural disturbances are scarce.

Effect of the technology of the additional sowing of drought-resistant clover-grass mixture and silage additives on fermentation process quality and nutritive value of baled grass silages

Effect of the technology of the additional sowing of drought-resistant clover-grass mixture and silage additives on fermentation process quality and nutritive value of baled grass silages

Production and composition of Iberian sow's milk and use of milk nutrients by the suckling Iberian piglet

Sixteen purebred Iberian (IB) sows were used in two consecutive trials to determine the efficiency of conversion of sow's milk into piglet body weight (BW) gain and the relationship between milk protein and body protein retention and between milk energy yield and body energy retention in the nursing IB piglet. In each trial, four sows were selected in order to evaluate their milk production, litter growth and nutrient balance measurements, together with four additional sows for milk sampling. Litter size was equalized to six piglets. Daily milk yield (MY) was determined weekly by the weigh-suckle-weigh technique over a 34-day lactation period. Piglets were weighed individually at birth and then weekly from day 5 of lactation. Milk samples were collected on days 5, 12, 19, 26 and 34 post partum. The comparative slaughter procedure was used to determine piglet nutrient and energy retention. One piglet from each litter was slaughtered at birth and four on the morning of day 35. Total MY was on average 5.175 ± 0.157 kg/day. The average chemical composition (g/kg) of the milk was 179 ± 4 dry matter, 53.4 ± 1.0 CP, 58.5 ± 3.8 fat, 10.4 ± 0.3 ash and 56.9 ± 2.3 lactose. Milk gross energy (GE) was 4.626 ± 0.145 MJ/kg. Milk intake per piglet tended to increase in trial 2 (832 v. 893 g/day; P = 0.066). Piglet BW gain contained (g/kg) 172.1 ± 1.3 protein, 151.5 ± 3.5 fat, 41.4 ± 0.6 ash and 635 ± 3 water and 10.127 ± 0.126 MJ GE/kg. Throughout the 34-day nursing period, the piglets grew at an average rate of 168 ± 3 g/day. The ratio of daily piglet BW gain to daily MY was 0.195 ± 0.002 g/g and the gain per MJ milk GE intake was 41.9 ± 0.5 g/MJ. The overall efficiency of protein accretion (g CP gain/g CP milk intake) was low and declined in trial 2 (0.619 v. 0.571; P = 0.016). Nutrient and energy deposition between birth and weaning were 27.4 ± 0.5 g/day protein, 24.2 ± 0.8 g/day fat and 1615 ± 40 kJ/day energy. Piglet energy requirements for maintenance were 404 kJ metabolizable energy (ME)/kg BW0.75. ME was used for growth with a net efficiency of 0.584. These results suggest that poor efficiency in the use of sow's milk nutrients rather than a shortage in milk nutrient supply might explain the low growth rate of the suckling IB piglet.

The Peritoneal Mesothelium Covering the Genital Tract and its Ligaments in the Female Pig Shows Signs of Active Function

The aim of this study was to describe the surface features of the peritoneal mesothelium covering the genital tract and adjacent ligaments of the sow to find signs of biosynthetic activation of cells. Surface features of the serosa covering the genital tract and adjacent ligaments from 14 cyclic sows, 7 in the follicular phase and 7 in the luteal phase of the estrous cycle, were examined by histology and scanning electron microscopy. Five additional sows, three in the follicular phase and two in the luteal phase of the estrous cycle, were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this study, the presence of cells of the oviductal epithelium in the serosa of the infundibulum and the ampulla, as well as indications of a high functional activity of the mesothelial cells in the areas studied were two aspects that differed from the findings of previous works. Presence of endosalpingeal cells was observed in the serosal surface, showing cyclical variations with a predominance of either ciliated cells during the follicular phase or secretory cells during the luteal phase. Signs of high functional activity of the mesothelial cells included the predominance of cuboidal over flattened cells, a cytoplasm richly supplied with organelles, a dense microvillous coat, numerous primary cilia, and many secretory structures on the surface of cells. These results indicate that the serosa covering the genital area and the adjacent ligaments in the sow has an active epithelium whose coordinating role between reproductive tissues may be far more significant than previously thought.

Effect of extra maternal feed supply in early gestation on sow and piglet performance and production and meat quality of growing/finishing pigs

The influence of differentiated extra maternal feed allowance during early gestation on maternal performance and postnatal development of the progeny from gilts and sows was investigated. Four different feed allowances of the same diet (Control [C], +35% [T35], +70% [T70], +100% [T100]) were assigned to 20 crossbred gilts (Swedish Landrace×Swedish Yorkshire), which continued as sows with the same feed allowance the following parity. The progeny was uniformly raised and slaughtered at a live weight of 110 kg. Additional maternal feed allowance resulted in significantly more weaned piglets per sow but not per gilt. Piglet numbers did not increase from T35 to T70/T100. Piglet birth weight did not increase due to maternal feeding. The intra-litter variation in piglet birth weights was similar between the treatments. Independent of the additional feed allowance, all gilts and sows had similar weights after weaning and had good body condition. The growth rate of progeny from sows was negatively related to maternal feed supply; for progeny from gilts, no clear trend of nutritional influence could be observed. Carcass and technological meat quality was not affected by maternal feeding treatment. Birth weight positively affected later growth performance (daily weight gain), carcass quality (lean meat content, back fat, proportion of muscles in ham/loin), whereas technological meat quality was unaffected.

Laparoscopic augmentation cystoplasty using the novel biomaterial Surgisis: small-intestinal submucosa.

Urinary bladder augmentation is indicated for diverse conditions, including neurogenic bladder, cancer resection, spinal cord injury, and congenital anomalies. The ideal cystoplasty material is yet to be described. Native gastrointestinal segments commonly used are limited by leakage and small-bowel obstruction, metabolic/nutritional abnormalities, calculi, and malignancy. This study assessed laparoscopic bladder augmentation with porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS). Five female pigs (<25 kg) were prepared for surgery under general anesthesia. After Veress needle insufflation, a main 10-mm trocar was placed in the midline for the laparoscope, with two lateral 10-mm ports added for operative instruments. The bladder dome was incised, and a patch of SIS was sewn into the bladder using running 2-0 Vicryl. Three animals served as technical studies. Two additional sows underwent long-term survival surgery: one undiverted and one diverted via a Stamey suprapubic catheter. There were no operative losses. The mean operative time was 140 minutes. The SIS graft held the sutures without tearing. Laparoscopic survey revealed no urine leaks at bladder closure. All five animals voided postoperatively. Urinary extravasation was evident in the three undiverted technique animals. In the other two sows, cystoscopy at 7 days showed intact suture lines without evidence of urinary extravasation and with normal vesicular volumes. Tissue growth was evident, but the graft margins were still discernible. Laparoscopic bladder augmentation was possible using SIS but at minimal volumes. There were no operative complications; however, the material was difficult to deploy and may benefit from application of an absorbable scaffold. Postoperative urinary drainage is necessary. Further studies will optimize the graft configuration for maximal augmentation.