The aim of this research was to determine rumination time (RT) and the subsequent milk yield, along with trait changes during lactation dependent on the reproductive status of dairy cows. 728 cows were selected for evaluation in regards to 1–150 days of milk production (DIM). According to their period of lactation and reproductive status, the cows were selected for the following groups: Inseminated (1–35 days after insemination, n=182), Open (45–90 days after calving, n=126), Fresh (1–44 days after calving, n=45); Not-pregnant (>35–60 days after inse- mination and not-pregnant, n=55); Pregnant (35–60 days after insemination and pregnant (n=320). The animals were milked with Lely Astronaut® A3 milking robots. The daily milk yield, rumination time, bodyweight, milk composition (fat, protein, lactose, somatic cell count and gynecological status date) were collected from the Lely T4C management program for analysis. We estimated the lowest productivity in the pregnant cows, where the average milk yield was 28.72 kg and the highest productivity in the fresh cow (p<0.001) (Table 1). The longest rumina- tion time was determined for the inseminated cows, statistically significantly higher at 9.92% (p<0.001) than in the non-pregnant cows, whose rumination time was the shortest. The statisti- cally reliably RT positively correlated with productivity (r=0.384, p<0.001) of the cows (from r=0.302 in the second lactation and r=0.471 in the first lactation to r=0.561 in multiparous cows; p<0.001). Rumination time, according to groups of cows by milk yield, had a tendency to increase (2.14 times) from 202.0± 87.38 (in cows with a productivity of less than 10 kg milk) to 431.6±33.91 (in cows with a milk yield higher than 50 kg) by the linear regression equation: y = 38.02x + 232, R² = 0.721 (p<0.001). The relation between the gynecological status and milk fat-protein ratio of the cows was statistically significant (χ2=2.974, df= 8, p <0.0001). The longest rumination time was determined for the inseminated cows (1 – 35 days after insemination), and the shortest for the not-pregnant cows (>35 – 60 days after insemination and not-pregnant). We can conclude that rumination time, subsequent yield, and milk trait change depends on the period of lactation and reproductive status of a dairy cow.
The relative relationships “yield – evapotranspiration” were used long time ago. The well known linear relationship yi = 1 – ky (1 – ei), where yi is relative yield, ky – yield response factor and ei – relative evapotranspiration was proposed. It’s usually assumed that ky is constant for a given crop and climatic conditions. It was found, however, that ky for late variety of maize H 708 varied through the study years (1984–1990) in the Plovdiv region (South Bulgaria, altitude 150 m). During the dry years it was significantly higher than in the medium and humid years. The range of ky for maize in this location was 1.12–1.90, the average value being 1.50. The climate in the Sofia region (the ex-perimental field of Chelopechene, altitude 550 m) is comparatively more humid. The two regions approximately outlined the boundaries of the appropriate economical conditions for grain maize pro-duction. The experiments in the Sofia region were carried out in the years 1994–2000. The seven years results for mean variety maize showed that the relationships “yield – evapotranspiration” and, respectively, ky varied at these climatic conditions too. The highest ky value was 1.41 for the driest year (2000) and the lowest value – 1.05 for the most wet years (1995, 1999). The value of ky for av-erage years was 1.21. The yield response factor ky is of more significance when the relative evapotranspiration is less than 0.7–0.8. Thus, the extreme or the average values of ky could be used for the corresponding climatic regions. The relationships between ky and relative yield were estab-lished without considering irrigation.
The paper attempts to assess the extent of crop loss in rubber plantations in India, measured in terms of loss in latex and timber output and thereby to examine the comparative economics of plant protection measures against Phytophtora spp. induced abnormal leaf fall (ALF). The specific objectives were: a) to examine the extent of loss in latex and timber output in unsprayed plots vis-a-vis sprayed plots across prominent rubber clones; b) estimate the value of loss in latex and timber output across clones between sprayed and unsprayed plots; c) examine the comparative economics of plant protection measures in terms of the incremental costs and the incremental returns from sprayed plots across clones; and d) reflect upon the policy imperatives with respect to region specific Research and Development (R&D) interventions on plant protection measures in India. The study brings out significant clonal differences in loss of latex and timber output in the absence of prophylactic spraying against ALF. The observed clonal differences with respect to feasibility of plant disease control measures indicate the need for region and clone-specific recommendations for plant protection measures in India instead of the currently followed unilateral prescription with due allowance to the costs and potential benefit accrued from the control measures. The study also highlight the need for evolving interventions and agro-management/ plant protection measures for minimising the incidence of tree casualty in rubber plantation, as it amounts to loss of potential income from latex and timber from rubber plantations in India, dominated by the smallholder sector
Lublin Upland and Roztocze region are known for the occurrence of a large number of springs of high yield. These springs are fed mainly from Cretaceous or Tertiary water-bearing horizon. In order to determine variability of springs’ yield, 61 selected springs were analysed in spring periods of the years 1998–2008. Collected hydrometric materials allowed for comparing average and extreme yield values of springs in various physiographic regions within the period of 11 years. Average value was 76.1 dm3·s–1, while the mean of the minimal yields was 44.7 dm3·s–1 and of the maximal – 132.7 dm3·s–1. Coefficient of irregularity of the springs’ yield ranged from 1.5 to 5.0, which may lead to the conclusion that the springs’ yield is constant or varies slightly. In some cases the irregularity was higher but it was determined by hydrogeological, meteorological and local factors.
The investigations were carried out in 1996–2005 on the fields of Agricultural Experimental Station Department of SGGW Chylice in Mazowieckie voivodeship. The occurrence of diseases was assessed in 1996–2000 on winter wheat cv. Kobra, and in 2001–2005 on cv. Mikon. Weather conditions in ten-year experimental period were differentiated and had a distinct influence on plant infection by pathogens, as well as on the level of winter wheat yielding. In the first part of experimental period (1996–2000) the weather was characterized by higher temperatures compared to long-term average and higher amount of rainfall, with the exception of the year 2000 when the summer drought occurred. The highest for that period grain yield (54.70 dt/ha) was obtained in 1998. This was related to the lowest total infection of leaf surface area (22.76%) and a relatively low index of infection of stem base by Tapesia yallundae. In that year mass of 1 000 grain was also the highest. The lowest grain yield (40.80 dt/ha) was recorded in 2000 due to summer drought. In 1997 characterized by a high level of infection by T. yallundae (eyespot) obtained grain yield was also relatively low. In the second part of the experiment conducted on cv. Mikon (2001–2005) the lowest grain yield was recorded in 2001 (28.85 dt/ha) when per cent of leaf area infection of 2 upper leaves by Puccinia recondita (brown rust) was very high (44.79%), and the highest yield was obtained in 2003 (57.27 dt/ha). This was due to a moderate level of total leaf infection (30.21%) with fungal pathogens and favourable weather conditions for wheat development. In that year mass of 1 000 grain was also the highest. The occurrence of stem base infection by Fusarium spp. was maintained in the years 1996–2005 on differentiated level and it was lower in earlier years compared to the later period. The infection of ears by Leptosphaeria nodorum and Fusarium spp. was usually not high and its influence on the amount of grain yield not clearly evident. Chemical control of diseases influenced grain yield increase which was the highest in 2001 when winter wheat leaves were heavily infected by Puccinia recondita. The yield increase on fungicide treated plots was in that year 53.15%. It was evident that brown rust may pose a serious threat to winter wheat in the years of its high occurrence.
In the four-year experiment the impact of four different barley varieties and selected two-and three-component mixtures were tested. The studies were carried out at two sites: Experimental Station for Variety Testing Słupia Wlk. (Wielkopolska region) and Plant Breeding Station Bąków (Opole District) during four growing seasons (2001/2002–2004/2005). The aim of the studies was to evaluate the yield through growing barley variety mixtures in combination with reduced use of fungicide and application dose rates. Positive effects (1–15% yield increase in mixtures compared to pure stands) were observed. On the base of obtained results it can be stated that winter barley variety mixtures can constitute an alternative way of growing winter barley, especially at low-input and ecological agriculture.
Fusarium avenaceum, F. oxysporum, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani, Mucor sp., Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp. were the most often isolated species from fiber seeds. The antagonistic action of Trichoderma lignorum T 13–82 in relation to seed contaminants was evaluated. The use of Trichodermin-BL, based on that antagonist, applied as pre-sowing seed treatment and on growing plants decrease diseases incidence. The application of Trichodermin-BL improved a set of biometrical and physiological parameters during crop vegetation, increased the yield and raised flax fiber quality.
The objective of this study was to determine the association between subclinical acidosis (SARA) and subclinical ketosis (SCK) with biomarkers from an automatic milking system (AMS) measuring in relation to rumination time (RT), milk yield (MY), bodyweight (BW), milk temperature, the milk fat-to-protein ratio, and the electrical conductivity of milk at the udder quarters-level which can be read in fresh dairy cows. During the course of the study, all of the fresh dairy cows (n=711) were examined according to a general clinical investigation plan. The cows were selected for 1-30 days of milk (DIM) and were milked using Lely Astronaut® A3 milking robots with free traffic. Rumination time shows a statistically significant positive correlation with milk yield (milk temperature) and is negatively correlated with the fat and protein ratio. Healthy cows demonstrated the highest level of rumination time and the lowest milk temperature. The average BW for these cows was 1.64% lower than for the SARA group and the BW kg was 2.10% higher than SCK cows. MY was 14.01% lower in comparison with SARA and 6.42% higher in comparison with SCK. According to these results, some biomarkers from the AMS have an association with SARA and SCK. However, further research with a higher number of cows is needed to confirm this conclusion.
Energy conservation is an important step to overcome the energy crisis and prevent environmental pollution. Casting industry is a major consumer of energy among all the industries. The distribution of electrical energy consumed in all the departments of the foundry is presented. Nearly 70% of the energy is consumed especially in the melting department alone. Production of casting involves number of process variables. Even though lot of efforts has been taken to prevent defects, it occurs in the casting due to variables present in the process. This paper focuses the energy saving by improving the casting yield and by reducing the rejections. Furthermore an analysis is made on power consumption for melting in the induction furnace to produce defective castings and improvement in the casting yield. The energy consumed to produce defective castings in all other departments is also presented. This analysis reveals that without any further investment in the foundry, it is possible to save 3248.15 kWh of energy by reducing the rejections as well as by improving the casting yield. The redesign of the feeding system and the reduced major rejection shrinkage in the body casting improved the casting yield from 56% to 72% and also the effective yield from 12.89% to 66.80%.
Evolutionary computing and algorithms are well known tools of optimisation that are utilized for various areas of analogue electronic circuits design and diagnosis. This paper presents the possibility of using two evolutionary algorithms - genetic algorithm and evolutionary strategies - for the purpose of analogue circuits yield and cost optimisation. Terms: technologic and parametric yield are defined. Procedures of parametric yield optimisation, such as a design centring, a design tolerancing, a design centring with tolerancing, are introduced. Basics of genetic algorithm and evolutionary strategies are presented, differences between these two algorithms are highlighted, certain aspects of implementation are discussed. Effectiveness of both algorithms in parametric yield optimisation has been tested on several examples and results have been presented. A share of evolutionary algorithms computation cost in a total optimisation cost is analyzed.
Plant tissue culture techniques have become an integral part of progress in plant science research due to the opportunity offered for close study of detailed plant development with applications in food production through crop improvement, secondary metabolites production and conservation of species. Because the techniques involve growing plants under controlled conditions different from their natural outdoor environment, the plants need adjustments in physiology, anatomy and metabolism for successful in vitro propagation. Therefore, the protocol has to be optimized for a given species or genotype due to the variability in physiological and growth requirement. Developing the protocol is hampered by several physiological and developmental aberrations in the anatomy and physiology of the plantlets, attributed to in vitro culture conditions of high humidity, low light levels and hetero- or mixotrophic conditions. Some of the culture-induced anomalies become genetic, and the phenotype is inherited by clonal progenies while others are temporary and can be corrected at a later stage of protocol development through changes in anatomy, physiology and metabolism. The success of protocols relies on the transfer of plantlets to field conditions which has been achieved with many species through stages of acclimatization, while with others it remains a challenging task. This review discusses various adjustments in nutrition, physiology and anatomy of micro-propagated plants and field grown ones, as well as anomalies induced by the in vitro culture conditions.