Specific Deficiency Symptoms Research Articles

BILL E. KUNKLE INTERDISCIPLINARY BEEF SYMPOSIUM: Assessing the mineral supplementation needs in pasture-based beef operations in the Southeastern United States.

Macro- and microminerals are required for all physiological processes in beef cattle. When mineral deficiencies occur in pasture-based production systems, a multitude of deficiency symptoms may occur, and most often, these deficiencies result in hidden losses to include reduced production potential, reduced immunity, and reproductive failure. More severe deficiencies will result in specific deficiency symptoms, depending on the specific mineral deficiency. In pasture-based beef operations, specific deficiency symptoms are seldom observed. Forage mineral supply is highly variable and dependent on the forage type, stage of forage growth, and soil fertility. Grazing cattle mineral requirements change throughout the production cycle. With the variability of forage mineral supply and the changing mineral requirements, care must be taken when developing mineral supplementation programs for grazing cattle. The macrominerals function in nerve transmission, bone development, and metabolism and as electrolytes. These are Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Cl, and S. The microminerals function in various areas of metabolism, immune responsiveness, reproductive efficiency, and many other functions. These minerals are Zn, Cu, Fe, I, Mn, Se, Mo, and Co. Of these macro- and microminerals, those that are important for supplementation to pasture-based cattle include Ca, P, Mg, Na, Cl, Zn, Cu, I, Mn, Se, and Co. However, the amounts to be supplemented will depend on the specific mineral requirements and the forage supply of the minerals. Consequently, the development of free-choice mineral supplementation programs is a moving target. Generally, this entangled mess is sorted by taking one mineral at a time into consideration. However, in doing so, one has to be cognizant of the many interactions that occur when changing intake of just 1 mineral in the supplement with respect to the amount supplied in the base forage. Often times, mineral nutrition problems of one or more minerals are created when trying to correct a deficiency of another mineral. This paper will address specific factors that are important to consider when developing and delivering mineral supplementation programs in pasture-based production systems in the Southeastern United States.

Total replacement of fish meal with plant proteins in diets for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) I — Effects on growth and protein retention

A regression design with increasing levels of a plant protein mixture replacing fish meal in diets for Atlantic cod, was used to elucidate effects on growth, feed utilization (FCR), digestibility (ADC), and retention of nutrients (PER, PPV and HSI). The plant protein diets contained soybean meal, soy protein concentrate and wheat gluten meal, all of high quality, and were added crystalline methionine and lysine to achieve levels of indispensable amino acids for maximizing growth in other fish species. Initial fish weight was 1652±6 g (mean±SEM) and the experiment lasted for 28 weeks from December 2004. High growth (SGR 0.31–0.35) and feed utilization (FCR 1.06–1.26) were obtained up to 50% plant protein inclusion. Above this inclusion level, growth (SGR 0.30–0.14) and feed utilization (FCR 1.42–2.71) were reduced. None of the diets affected whole body, liver or muscle proximate compositions. Hepatosomatic index was not effected by diet up to 75% plant protein (HSI 12.7–14.3), but was significantly lower for the 100% plant protein diet group (HSI 10.1–11.4). Plasma and muscle free amino acid pools, sampled 5 h post-feeding, partly reflected diet amino acid composition. Reduced protein retention was found as dietary plant protein increased (PPV 0.45–0.16 and PER 2.11–0.73), however without any reductions in apparent digestibility coefficients. There was a decrease in vitamin B12 concentrations in the diets (120–10 μg kg−1) as inclusion of plant protein increased, but no specific deficiency symptoms were detected in the fish. Furthermore, the sufficiency of dietary methionine supply in the highest replacement groups, can be questioned based on low levels in the muscle free amino acid pool. Overall conclusion is a great potential for using quite high inclusions of plant proteins in cod diets, provided that the plant ingredients are of high quality.

Boron in Indian agriculture A review

Boron (B) is an essential plant nutrient and its specific deficiency symptoms are well documented in several crops. Boron is essential for the development of reproductive tissues and its deficiency results in low grain set or poor quality seeds and fruits. Adequate B nutrition is reported to reduce incidence of some diseases in plants. About one-third of the cultivated soils, especially in the eastern and north-eastern states of India are deficient in B. Good responses for a number of crops to B have been reported. Borax and boric acid are the common B fertiliz- ers. The average amounts of B removed (g/tonne grain or other economic produce) by some crops are: 21 in wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol], 22 in pearlmillet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. Emend. Stuntz], 36 in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], 17 in cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp], 16 in cotton (Gossypium spp.), 21 in cabbage [Brassica oleracea (L.) var. capitata], 15 in cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.), 14 in castor (Ricinus communis L.), 9 in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and 23 in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.). Boron, possibly because of its role in lignin formation is able to reduce the incidence of several diseases in plants. High amounts of B in irrigation water could be toxic to crops and irrigation water having < 3 mg B/litre is ideal for B tolerant and semi-tolerant crops.

Long-term vitamin status and dietary intake of healthy elderly subjects. 2. Vitamin C.

1. Long-term clinical and biochemical vitamin C (ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid) status and dietary intake of vitamin C were monitored for 18 months in twenty-three relatively-healthy elderly subjects living at home in the north of England.2. Plasma vitamin C showed a strong positive correlation with buffy-coat vitamin C both cross-sectionally between subjects and longitudinally within subjects; plasma levels, therefore, were almost as good an index of long-term status as buffy-coat levels.3. Vitamin C intake was strongly correlated with plasma and with buffy-coat levels both between subjects and within subjects. This contrasts with the poor correlation observed between riboflavin intake and biochemical riboflavin status in the same subjects.4. Subjects with relatively high average intakes showed considerable seasonal variation, and several widely-spaced measurements would be needed to characterize their long-term status accurately. Those with low average intakes and blood levels showed little variation during the study.5. The strongest within-subject correlation was obtained by relating the biochemical values to the 7 d dietary intake directly preceding the biochemical analysis. Blood and tissue levels therefore appear to be strongly related to the current dietary intake.6. Although some subjects had blood vitamin C levels consistently within the region associated with biochemical deficiency, none showed clinical evidence of specific deficiency symptoms.7. After the main study, fifteen of the subjects received supplementary vitamin C for 2 months. Plasma and buffy-coat levels rose sharphy, but fell to presupplementation levels within 1 month of withdrawal, emphasizing the transitory nature of increased tissue levels. No significant changes were detected in the following collagen-related urinary ratios: hydroxyproline: creatinine, proline: creatinine, proline: total amino-nitrogen and proline: hydroxyproline in hydrolysates either of whole urine or of various fractions. These variables thus appear to be insensitive to short-term changes in vitamin C status over the ranges encountered in this study.

Copper Nutrition of Millets (Part I)

The establishment of essentiality of certain elements in minute quantities in the nutrition of plants led to an extensive study of micro-nutrients during the past few decade. As a consequence of recognising their importance, considerable attention was paid to their practical utility which promised great potentialities not only in the solution of problems of nutritional disorders in crops but in the matter of increased crop production. Crop failures that often occur in many regions may perhaps be attributed, at least in part, to a deficiency of micro-nutrients. For Indian crops and soil conditions particularly, information is lacking on micro- nutrients. Among the micro-nutrient elements, Boron, Copper, Manga- nese, Zine and Molybdenum are perhaps the most important. Very minute quantities are required to perform important functions in plant nutrition. Further, small amounts of them are enough to plants to restore themselves from specific abnormalities 'and impaired physiological functions caused by their deficiencies in the nutrient medium. Thus Bertrand (1905). Warrington (1923), Thumberg (1934) and Arnon and Stout (1939) proved that Manganese, Boron, Zine and Molybdenum respectively play various essential roles in the plants' metabloie activities and their absence causes specific deficiency symptoms in plants.

MINERAL COMPOSITION OF CHLOROTIC ORANGE LEAVES AND SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE RELATION OF SAMPLE PREPARATION TECHNIQUE TO THE INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

sential mineral elements. Agreement does not always exist, however, as to whether a specific type of leaf-symptom pattern is related to total content of the deficient element or only to a specific fraction of it. This is particularly true of the presumed deficiencies of iron and zinc where sample selection, contamination, and poor precision of analytical procedures are all complicating factors. An extensive review of all previous work is beyond the scope of this report. Jacobson (8) and Lindner and H arle ? (10) point out some of the more pertinent discrepancies with respect to iron content and iron chlorosis. More recently McGeorge (11) reports the lack of any apparent relationship between total Fe or Zn and the appearance of the specific deficiency symptoms for these elements in citrus, pear, and several other plants. Other studies have occasionally shown this same result in the case of Fe; but Jacobson (8) found that surface contamination was a factor of major importance in producing discrepant results. When pear leaves from trees grown in calcareous soil were carefully washed in dilute HC1, a c'orrelation was found between the low total Fe values found and the iron chlorosis shown. Bennett (1) confirmed this observation with further studies, although he found a stronger relationship of chlorosis to an acid-soluble, or active'' Fe fraction than to the total. In Florida (?), New Zealand (7), and elsewhere citrus trees showing typical zinc deficiency symptoms have been found to contain less total zinc in their leaves than leaves from healthy trees. In Florida when the acidity of the topsoil of the Lakeland and related series drops below pH 5.0 (between 4.5 and 5.0) for a considerable length of time, citrus trees may become unthrifty in appearance, sparsely foliated, and show typical iron-chlorosis leaf patterns. This interveinal chlorosis condition strongly resembles the lime-induced iron chlorosis pattern (2) and that associated with poor drainage. Exploratory tests in small containers showed that reducing the acidity by treatment with the carbonates of Ca, Na, or ? (or extracting the soil with NH4-acetate) all resulted in the disappearance of this symptom in young citrus seedlings. In connection with this general problem, some analyses were made to determine the mineral composition of leaves from trees affected with this type of chloro-