1. Japanese quail hens were housed from 6 to 26 weeks of age in cages providing areas of 150, 180, 210 and 240 cm2/bird.
2. Body weight gain, age at 50% egg production, mortality, hen‐day egg production and food conversion values showed significant improvement with proportionate increase in cage space per layer.
3. Egg weight gradually increased with age but shell thickness was influenced neither by age of the hen nor by stocking density.
4. Yolk index and colour were superior in the lowest stocking density (more cage space) group; other egg quality traits and egg weight were not influenced by stocking density.
5. The albumen index, internal quality unit, yolk index and yolk colour values increased with age. 相似文献
The CpG motif within bacterial DNA is a potent immuno-stimulatory moiety. Here, using a 2-D electrophoretic approach, we investigated the effect of synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide containing a B type CpG motif (CpG-B ODN) on the protein expression profile of swine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We found that several proteins including spondin 1, N-acetolactate alpha linked acidic dipeptidase; V kappa light chain, T cell receptor variable alpha chain, heat shock protein (Hsp) 60, Hsp70, KIAA0857 protein, and PNAS-146 were up-regulated in PBMC by CpG-B ODN stimulation. Further studies showed that CpG-B ODN-mediated Hsp60, Hsp70 and Hsp90 expressions were closely associated with the TLR9 signalling pathway. Pretreatment with inhibitors of Hsp70, Hsp90 and TLR9 all blocked the CpG-B ODN-mediated anti-apoptotic effect in swine PBMC. These results suggest that CpG-B ODN treatment of swine PBMC may enhance the expression of biologically active proteins, notably spondin 1, V kappa light chain, T cell receptor variable alpha chain and Hsps, which may play an important role in CpG-B ODN-mediated activation of immune responses and enhancement of swine PBMC survival. 相似文献
We screened serum samples of 1024 goats slaughtered for chevon in Bareilly in Northern India for Salmonella antibodies with indirect ELISA, MAT-H (microagglutination test using flagellar antigens e, n, x and 1, 5) and MAT-O (microagglutination test using somatic antigens 4, 12 and 3, 10, 15). Salmonella antibodies were detected in 48, 8 and 40%, goats using Salmonella-cytotoxi-I ELISA, MAT 'H' and MAT 'O', respectively. After adjusting for test accuracy, the seroprevalence were highest for Salmonella-cytotoxi-I ELISA (46%) followed by agglutinins against 'O' 3, 10, 15 (15%) and negligible for other agglutinins. With all 5 tests, prevalence of Salmonella antibodies was significantly higher in females than in males. No significant difference was evident in prevalence of Salmonella antibodies to different antigens in different age groups of male goats except for e, n, x agglutinins that were significantly more prevalent in young adult (<6-18 months) males than in adult (>18 months of age) or young (< or =6 months of age) goats. On the other hand, in females, prevalence of Salmonella-cytotoxin-I antibodies and e, n, x agglutinins differed significantly among three age groups, being the most prevalent in adult goats. As expected, the results of different tests had little or no correlation because the different tests targeted antibodies to different antigens. 相似文献
The effect of seed size on germination and seedling growth was assessed using cultivars of greengram and blackgram. Significant positive correlation was noticed between seed size and germination, seedling height, root length, primary leaf size and seedling weight. The possible advantages of choosing cultivars with heavier seeds for attaining better crop stand especially under rainfed situation are discussed. 相似文献
One of the major problems in the shrimp culture industry is the difficulty in producing high-quality shrimp larvae. In larviculture,
quality feeds containing a high content of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) and ingredients that stimulate stress and
disease resistance are essential to produce healthy shrimp larvae. In the present study, Penaeus monodon postlarvae (PL15) were fed for 25 days on an unenriched Artemia diet (control; A) or on a diet of Artemia enriched with either HUFA-rich liver oil of the trash fish Odonus niger (B), probionts [Lactobacillus acidophilus (C1) or yeast-Saccharomyces cerevisiae (C2)] or biomedicinal herbal products (D) that have anti-stress, growth-promoting and anti-microbial characteristics. P. monodon postlarvae fed unenriched Artemia exhibited the lowest weight gain (227.9 ± 8.30 mg) and specific growth rate (9.95 ± 0.05%), while those fed the HUFA-enriched
Artemia (B) exhibited the highest weight gain and specific growth rate (362.34 ± 12.56 mg and 11.77 ± 0.08%, respectively). At the
end of the 25-day rearing experiment, the shrimp postlarvae (PL40) were subjected to a salinity stress study. At both low
and high (0 and 50‰) salinities, the group fed the control diet (A) experienced the highest cumulative mortality indices (CMI)
935.7 ± 2.1 and 1270.7 ± 3.1, respectively. Those fed diet D showed the lowest stress-induced mortality, and CMI were reduced
by 31.1 and 32.3% under conditions of low and high salinity stress, respectively. A 10-day disease challenge test was conducted
with the P. monodon postlarvae (PL40–PL50) by inoculating the shrimp with the pathogen Vibrio harveyi at the rate of 105–107 CFU/ml in all rearing tanks. P. monodon postlarvae fed probiont-encapsulated Artemia diets (C1 and C2) exhibited the highest survival (94.3 and 82.3%, respectively) and lowest pathogen load (V. harveyi) in hepatopancreas (5.2 × 102 ± 9.0 × 10 and 4.6 × 102 ± 9.0 × 10 CFU g−1, respectively) and muscle (2.0 × 102 ± 6 × 10 and 1.7 × 102 ± 8.6 × 10 CFU g−1, respectively) tissues. The shrimp that were fed the unenriched Artemia (Control; A) showed the lowest survival (26.33%) and highest bacterial load in the hepatopancreas (1.0 × 105 ± 5 × 103 CFU g−1) and muscle (3.6 × 104 ± 6 × 102 CFU g−1). The shrimp fed the herbal product (D)-enriched Artemia also exhibited enhanced survival and reduced V. harveyi load in the tissues tested compared to the control diet (A) group. The results are discussed in terms of developing a quality
larval feed to produce healthy shrimp larvae. 相似文献
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a special crop plant that underwent anthropogenic evolution from a wild grass species to an important food, fodder, and energy crop. Unlike any other grass species which were selected for their kernels, sugarcane was selected for its high stem sucrose accumulation. Flowering in sugarcane is not favored since flowering diverts the stored sugar resources for the reproductive and developmental energy needs. Cultivars are vegetatively propagated and sugarcane breeding is still essentially focused on conventional methods, since the knowledge of sugarcane genetics has lagged that of other major crops. Cultivar improvement has been extremely challenging due to its polyploidy and aneuploidy nature derived from a few interspecific hybridizations between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum, revealing the coexistence of two distinct genome organization modes in the modern variety. Alongside implementation of modern agricultural techniques, generation of hybrid clones, transgenics and genome edited events will help to meet the ever-growing bioenergy needs. Additionally, there are two common biotechnological approaches to improve plant stress tolerance, which includes marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genetic transformation. During the past two decades, the use of molecular approaches has contributed greatly to a better understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis of plant stress-tolerance and in some cases, it led to the development of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress. Hence, this review mainly intends on the events that shaped the sugarcane as what it is now and what challenges ahead and measures taken to further improve its yield, production and maximize utilization to beat the growing demands.
The allelopathic potential of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (gum tree) fresh and dried leaf leachates was studied using two perennial weeds, viz. purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) and bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers) as test weeds. Aqueous leachate of fresh leaves of eucalyptus significantly suppressed the establishment of vegetative propagules and early seedling growth of the weeds. Leachate of fresh leaf cuttings had growth inhibitory effect on bermuda grass but showed growth promotion effect on purple nutsedge. Similarly the leachate of dried leaves of eucalyptus had differential influence on the growth of the two weeds. There is a possibility to harness the allelochemicals of eucalyptus leaves as herbicides for the management of these perennial weeds. 相似文献
The study relates village seed systems to biological diversity of millet crops grown by farmers in the semi-arid lands of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India. In these subsistence-oriented, semi-arid production systems the environment is marginal for crop growth and often there is no substitute for millet crops. Across communities, farmers grow 13 different combinations of pearl millet, sorghum, finger millet, little millet, and foxtail millet varieties, but individual farmers grow an average of only 2–3 millet varieties per season. The “village seed system” in this study refers to all channels through which farmers acquire genetic materials, separate from or in interaction with the commercial seed industry, observed at the local level. Data are compiled through household surveys and interviews with traders and dealers in village and district markets. Based on the concept of the seed lot, several seed system parameters are defined and measured by millet crop. Most seed transactions, including gifts of seed, appear to be monetized. Seed supply channels differ by improvement status of the genetic material. Regression results confirm that seed system parameters are statistically significant determinants of the spatial diversity of millet crops measured at the village level. Furthermore, both the trade through weekly village markets (shandies) and through the formal seed supply channel contribute positively to the breadth of genetic materials in these communities. Ways should be found to strengthen and improve the overall efficiency of the seed system, including both formal and informal channels, in order to reduce the costs to farmers of procuring and managing diverse crop varieties. 相似文献
