A synthesis of the petrological characters of granulite facies rocks that contain equilibrium sapphirine ＋ quartz assemblage from two localities （Tonagh Island （TI） and Priestley Peak （PP）） in the Napier Comple...A synthesis of the petrological characters of granulite facies rocks that contain equilibrium sapphirine ＋ quartz assemblage from two localities （Tonagh Island （TI） and Priestley Peak （PP）） in the Napier Complex,East Antarctica,provides unequivocal evidence for extreme crustal metamorphism possibly associated with the collisional orogeny during Neoarchean.The reaction microstructures associated with sapphirine ＋ quartz vary among the samples,probably suggesting different tectonic conditions during the metamorphic evolution.Sapphirine and quartz in TI sample were probably in equilibrium at the peak stage,but now separated by corona of Grt ＋ Sil ＋ Opx suggesting near isobaric cooling after the peak metamorphism,whereas the Spr ＋ Qtz ＋ Sil ＋ Crd ＋ Spl assemblage replaces garnet in PP sample suggesting post-peak decompression.The application of mineral equilibrium modeling in NCKFMASHTO system demonstrated that Spr ＋ Qtz stability is lowered down to 930 ℃ due to small Fe3＋ contents in the rocks （mole Fe2O3/（FeO ＋ Fe2O3） =0.02）.The TI sample yields a peak p-T range of 950-1100 ℃ and 7.5-11 kbar,followed by cooling toward a retrograde stage of 800-950 ℃ and 8-10 kbar,possibly along a counterclockwise p-T path.In contrast,the peak condition of the PP sample shows 1000-1050 ℃ and ＞12 kbar,which was followed by the formation ofSpr ＋ Qtz corona around garnet at 930-970 ℃ and 6.7-7.7 kbar,suggesting decompression possibly along a clockwise p-T trajectory.Such contrasting p-T paths are consistent with a recent model on the structural framework of the Napier Complex that correlates the two areas to different crustal blocks.The different p-T paths obtained from the two localities might reflect the difference in the tectonic framework of these rocks within a complex Neoarchean subduction/collision belt.展开更多
Napier grass, an important forage crop with potentials in multi-purpose applications, is widely grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. Low temperature severely limits its productivity and geographical distributi...Napier grass, an important forage crop with potentials in multi-purpose applications, is widely grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. Low temperature severely limits its productivity and geographical distribution in temperate regions of the world. In this study, we investigated the effect of exogenous abscisic Acid(ABA) on chilling tolerance of napier grass(Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) seedlings. Seven-day-old napier grass seedlings were cultured in dd H_2O or ABA solution at different concentrations and exposed to 1 ℃ for different time durations. The chilling injury, membrane stability index(MSI) and proline content were estimated from leaf samples. The results showed that there was obvious morphological injury of leaf blighting and restrained growth for the seedlings under chilling stress, but this damage can be largely reduced(by 2/3) when the seedlings were treated by 100 μmol/L ABA in the culture solution, and that the application of exogenous ABA can help to maintain a good stability of leaf cell membrane as expressed by a high MSI value and a low level of proline in leaf cells. These results suggested that exogenous ABA can significantly alleviate chilling injury in napier grass seedlings by maintaining the stability of leaf cell membrane during chilling stress, and that the chilling tolerance was not ensured by a proline accumulation although a passive accumulation of proline was observed in the seedlings under chilling stress. Our results lay a preliminary foundation for future investigations on the molecular mechanisms of ABA induced chilling or freezing tolerance in napier grass.展开更多
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of Napier cultivars in terms of forage yield, plant morphology and nutrient contents under two different agro-ecology and geo-topographic conditions. Three ...The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of Napier cultivars in terms of forage yield, plant morphology and nutrient contents under two different agro-ecology and geo-topographic conditions. Three Napier cultivars being conserved by Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), namely-BLRI</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Napier 1, (BN-1), BLRI</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Napier 3 (BN-3) and Merkeron (BN-5) were selected to cultivate in severe drought prone areas (called Barind) and non-drought area at Savar (Modhupur terrace). Stem cuttings were planted in rows apart from 70 cm and 35cm spacing between plants. Data of 6 consecutive harvests from a period of approximately one year were collected and analyzed statistically by “R” software. The results showed that cultivar and location had </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">a </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">significant (P < 0.001) effect on biomass yield, plant height and leaf-stem ratio (LSR), while number of tillers </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">significantly varied with locations. BN-3 yielded the highest biomass (33.32 t/ha/harvest) at non-drought location (42.98 t/ha/harvest). The highest plant height was obtained in BN-1 (171.2 cm) at non-drought location (174.6 cm). Number of tiller</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> per hill ranged from 25.4 to 26.3 among cultivars (P > 0.05) and the highest tillers were found at non-drought location (28.1 no). The best LSR was estimated from BN-5 (0.86) at drought location (0.95). The proximate analysis showed that CP, ADF and NDF in whole plant </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">varied significantly (P < 0.001), being the highest contents in BN-1 (10.69%, 46.20% and 54.58%, respectively). On the other hand, DM and ash contents did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) among cultivars which ranged from 15.80% to 17.13% and 13.10% to 14.58%, respectively. The highest CP content in whole plant was obtained at non-drought location (11.89%), while the lowest ash (10.57%) and NDF (52.71%) contents were obtained at the same location. The highest CP contents in leaf were found at non-drought (15.03%) and the lowest ash (9.86%) at the same location. The highest CP contents (5.90%) in stem were found at non-drought location, while the lowest ash (11.28%) and NDF (54.59%) contents </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were obtained </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">at the same location. Finally, the experiment reveals the superiority in biomass yield and nutritional quality (in</span><span style="font-family:""> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">terms of CP content) with the ranking orders of BN-3 > BN-1 > BN-5 and BN-1 > BN-3 > BN-5. Therefore, it may be concluded that BN-1, BN-3</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">,</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and BN-5 cultivars were well adapted in both drought and non-drought conditions, although performance showed better in later condition</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. However, in terms of forage yield and overall nutrient composition, the performance of BN-3 was the best irrespective of locations.展开更多
The Central region of Kenya which is the second largest market oriented dairy zone, faces a threat in milk production. The challenge is a disease known as the napier head smut caused by Ustilago kamerunensis. This fun...The Central region of Kenya which is the second largest market oriented dairy zone, faces a threat in milk production. The challenge is a disease known as the napier head smut caused by Ustilago kamerunensis. This fungal microorganism is a facultative pathogen which has been reported to cause yield losses in napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) ranging from 25% to 46% across the affected areas. Additionally, there are reports of the continual spread of the disease into neighbouring county of Nakuru in Rift-Valley region which is the leading milk producing zone in the country. This scenario of spread is worrying combined with observation of variations in damage levels of napier grass clones across the five counties of Central Kenya. These observations led to the hypothesis that possible differences might be existing among the Ustilago kamerunensis variants in Kenya. Further, the differences in biomass yield losses that are within a certain percentage range mentioned-above, seemed to support the existence of possible differences. Therefore, to inform effective integrated management strategies of the pathogen in case it’s co-evolving, this study sought to determine the molecular differences of Ustilago kamerunensis isolates in affected counties using ITS 1 and 2 regions which are spanned by 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene. The Ustilago kamerunensis propagules were systematically collected from affected counties’ hot spot areas for sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The study revealed the most affected areas to be within the mean altitude level of 1988.17 ± 71.97 metres above sea level. Further, differences in the growth in vitro and molecular characteristics of the seemingly altitude restricted isolates were observed. The Kiambu, Nyandarau and Nakuru counties isolates clustered together, whereas those of Murang’a, Nyeri and Kirinyaga formed another clade. The sequences of sixteen Ustilago kamerunensis isolates were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers ranging from MG722754 to MG722769. The results suggest the existence of possible genetic divergence of the isolates which might be reflected in their pathogenic potential too. Effective integration of management strategies is vital towards slowing the phenomenon for an optimal mitigation of the disease in Kenya.展开更多
The study aimed to explore the potential of dietary fats supplementation on the overall goat performance. Three (3) mature rumen-cannulated goats weighting 27.33 ± 1.53 kg housed in individual elevated metabolism...The study aimed to explore the potential of dietary fats supplementation on the overall goat performance. Three (3) mature rumen-cannulated goats weighting 27.33 ± 1.53 kg housed in individual elevated metabolism stalls with customized fecal and urine collection tools with treatments replicated three times over time following the Complete Randomized Design (CRD). Animal</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">s</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> were randomly selected on different dietary treatment at different cycle. For each cycle, animals were provided with 30% concentrate on the morning based on feed requirements {3% of their body weight (BW) dry matter (DM) basis} of the animals. Ad libitum feeding of Napier grass will follow thereafter. Clean drinking water were made available all the times in the respective animal watering troughs. The rumen-cannulated goats were supplemented with different levels of two dietary fats (VCO and Lard) with dietary treatment combinations as follows, Control and VCO and Lard at 3% & 5%. Degradability of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were collected sequentially in every cycle of the study. There were seven (7) days lag period in every cycle for the animals to return to each natural state. On the 8th day of every cycle, animals were given different dietary treatment. Sequential insertion of nylon bag was done on the 15th to</span><span style="font-family:""> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">16th day (7 days after treatment). The results showed that degradability of the dry matter (DM) was noticed degraded exponentially on the first twelve hours of incubation and slower down </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">i</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">n the next few hours until 48 hours. Crude protein, acid and neutral detergent fiber showed breakdown of components was observed </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">i</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">n the first 48 hours of incubation. No significant difference (P > 0.05) among treatment means was observed in all parameters gathered. This implies that mature female goat diet cannot be influenced by dietary fats from two different sources (VCO and Lard) at 3% to 5% supplementation. Based on the study conducted, dietary fats supplementation on goats such as VCO and lard given at the maximum level of 5% level did not influence the nutrient degradability of Napier grass in the rumen until it reaches at 48 hours of incubation. Supplementing ruminant diets with dietary fat in goats could increase the energy density of the animal’s diet without adverse effect on rumen degradability. This simple, easy, and basic technique could also be applied to other animal species in pursuit </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">of</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> finding ways to formulate indigenous feedstuff materials that have potential nutritive values. Given the limitations such as the climatic and environmental constraints, this particular study would somehow serve as benchmark in conducting related researches in optimizing the conditions with respect to animal nutrition and feedstuff utilization. Thus, this study was done to augment productivity and to provide new opportunities for achieving enhanced growth performance in a way that alleviates poverty, improves food security and nutrition and promotes sustainable use of natural resources.展开更多
Dwarf, late-heading (DL) Napier grass is suitable for both cut-and-carry and grazing management due to sufficient yield and quality potential. This species can hardly produce viable seed, and thus vegetative propagati...Dwarf, late-heading (DL) Napier grass is suitable for both cut-and-carry and grazing management due to sufficient yield and quality potential. This species can hardly produce viable seed, and thus vegetative propagation should be essential before winter in temperate regions of southern Kyushu. The objective of this study was to determine the efficient storage methods of DL vegetative propagation. Two experiments were carried out, the first focused on indoor storage of 10-node stem sections under room or chilling (10°C) conditions and the second, on underground storage of ten-node and one-node stem sections at 10 cm, 25 cm or 40 cm depth. After both storages, both of ten-node stem sections, cut into single nodes, and one-node stem sections were transplanted into the soil and counted for the emergence every month in 3 months of planting. In indoor-storage, while storage temperature hardly affected the emergence (P > 0.05), storage period significantly reduced the emergence percentage. In underground storage, while one-node storage achieved constantly 60% emergence, ten-node storage achieved a higher emergence at 80% under 25-cm and 40-cm depths. The results of the study suggest that underground storage of longer stem sections at 25 cm depth could be applied to practical vegetative propagation in the region.展开更多
Napier grass （Pennisetum purpureum Schumach）, a C4 tropical plant, has high dry matter productivity and sustainability without the need for renovating every year due to good overwintering ability and the absence of ...Napier grass （Pennisetum purpureum Schumach）, a C4 tropical plant, has high dry matter productivity and sustainability without the need for renovating every year due to good overwintering ability and the absence of serious pathogens or insects injury. This grass is suitable for multipurpose use, providing forage, bioethanol feedstock and phytoremediation of cadmium （Cd） contaminated soil in Kyushu, Japan. When two cultivars of Napier grass （Wruk wona, WK and Merkeron, ME） were grown in Cd-contaminated soils, dry matter yield and the concentration and uptake of herbage Cd were higher in WK than in ME, and soil Cd concentration was reduced by 14% in a single season of cultivation. A dwarf variety of late-heading type （DL）, Napier grass had superior sustainability for more than 5 years in Miyazaki, Japan, and has gradually increased in cultivation areas for both cut-and-carry and grazing herbage production in cooperation with regional communities. Through the extension in several Kyushu areas, DL Napier grass required temperatures above -6.2 ~C for sustainability in winter, based on its threshold response to the lethal minimum temperature. DL Napier grass pasture can be utilized by grazing beef cattle even in early spring with temperate Italian ryegrass inter-sown into its inter-row spaces. Organic digested animal manure or sun-dried leguminous leaves as green manure can replace chemical fertilizers to reduce energy consumption and allow comparable productivity.展开更多
Fuelization of Italian ryegrass and Napier grass was examined by the combination of biological treatments and photocatalytic reforming (photo-Reform). The alkali-pretreated Italian ryegrass and Napier grass were subje...Fuelization of Italian ryegrass and Napier grass was examined by the combination of biological treatments and photocatalytic reforming (photo-Reform). The alkali-pretreated Italian ryegrass and Napier grass were subjected to the enzymatic saccharification using cellulase and xylanase. Xylose and glucose were produced in 56.6% and 71.1% from Italian ryegrass and in 49.5% and 67.3% from Napier grass, respectively. Xylose and glucose were converted to hydrogen by the photo-Reform using a Pt-loaded titanium oxide (Pt/TiO2) under UV irradiation. Moreover, a low-moisture anhydrous ammonia (LMAA) pretreatment was performed for Italian ryegrass and Napier grass by keeping moist powdered biomass under NH3 gas atmosphere at room temperature for four weeks. The Italian ryegrass and Napier grass which were pretreated by LMAA method were subjected to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using a mixture of cellulase and xylanase as well as Saccharomyces cerevisiae in acetate buffer (pH 5.0). Ethanol and xylose were produced in 91.6% and 51.6% from LMAA-pretreated Italian ryegrass and 78.6% and 68.8% from Napier grass, respectively. After the evaporation of ethanol, xylose was converted to hydrogen by the photo-Reform. In the case of saccharification→photo-Reform, energy was recovered as hydrogen from the alkali-pretreated Italian ryegrass and Napier grass in 71.9% and 77.0% of energy recovery efficiency, respectively. In the case of SSF→photo-Reform, the energy was recovered in 82.7% and 77.2% as ethanol and hydrogen from the LMAA-pretreated Italian ryegrass and Napier grass, respectively.展开更多
Napier, a fast growing and perennial grass has a dry matter (DM) yield potential of 78 tons/ha/yr. However, under water availability constraints Napier’s yield potential reduces to 62 tons/ha/yr. In an effort to atta...Napier, a fast growing and perennial grass has a dry matter (DM) yield potential of 78 tons/ha/yr. However, under water availability constraints Napier’s yield potential reduces to 62 tons/ha/yr. In an effort to attain Napier’s yield potential, irrigation management strategies have been integrated into its production to provide the highest productivity. This review assesses the effect of irrigation water management strategies on Napier productivity and also looks at future perspectives. Application of these strategies <em>i.e.</em>, precision irrigation, deficit irrigation, and application of biophysical models, can increase Napier’s yield potential to 112 tons/ha/yr. Review findings revealed that there is a need to close the knowledge gap on response of Napier productivity to different irrigation water management strategies. The future perspective explores the potential of the FAO AquaCrop model in provision of pre-season decision-making on irrigation strategies due to its relatively low cost and simplifications required in parameterization.展开更多
AD （anaerobic digestion） is a beneficial and efficient technique for the treatment of agricultural wastes, food wastes and wastes water to produce renewable energy. Solid agricultural are potential renewable energy ...AD （anaerobic digestion） is a beneficial and efficient technique for the treatment of agricultural wastes, food wastes and wastes water to produce renewable energy. Solid agricultural are potential renewable energy resoures. Biogas production by co-digestion of mixed Napier Pak Chong I and food waste at thermophilic temperature using anaerobic digestion in cow dung and chicken dung as the seed inoculums were investigated. The total reactor volume of the co-digester reactor was 7.94 m^3, which was equipped with pump, and it was operated continuously for the 20 days as a pilot scale at 50 ℃. The Napier Pak Chong I was cut into 2 mm sections, and the initial VS （volatile solids） was 30%. The initial VS of food waste were 70%. Two pilot-scale digesters filled with Napier Pak Chong I and food waste, which both digesters contained 476 kg of Napier Pak Chong I mixed 305 L of food waste, and 1305 L of water. There were carried out to investigate the optimum C/N （carbon to nitrogen） ratio for effective biogas production. The slurry raw materials provided sufficient buffering capacity to maintain appropriate pH values （between 7.0 and 8.0）. Digester I was designed for 1.98 m^3 of cow dung as the seed inoculum while digester II was designed to establish 1.98 m^3 of chicken dung as the seed inoculum. Gas detector performs analysis gas production. The m^3/day in digester I and 1.86 m^3/day from digester II, resulting in added, respectively. Biogas production in digester I was directly experimental results indicate that total biogas production was 2.19 specific methane yields of 1.26 m^3 CH4/kgVS and 1.07 m^3 CH4/kgVS correlated with temperature.展开更多
This study was planned to analyse the basis that make Brachiaria species with greater feeding value than Napier grass(Pennisetum purpureum) for lactating dairy cows.Forty lactating crossbred cows were stallfed on Brac...This study was planned to analyse the basis that make Brachiaria species with greater feeding value than Napier grass(Pennisetum purpureum) for lactating dairy cows.Forty lactating crossbred cows were stallfed on Brachiaria brizantha cv.Piata or Napier grass cv.French Cameroon supplemented(mixed on fresh matter basis) or unsupplemented with Desmodium distortum, a forage legume.All cows were fed on fresh matter basis under small-holder farming conditions.Results showed that B.brizantha cv.Piata had higher contents of dry matter(DM), crude protein(CP) and organic matter(OM), but lower contents of neutral detergent fibre(NDF) and acid detergent fibre(ADF) than Napier grass(P < 0.001).The legume supplementation increased intakes of CP and metabolizable energy(ME; P < 0.001), with higher effect on cows fed B.brizantha cv.Piata than on cows fed Napier grass.Average daily milk yield was lower on diets based on Napier grass than those based on B.brizantha cv.Piata(P < 0.001).The retention time of the particle phase of digesta in the digestive tract was longer on Napier grass(83.1 h) than on B.brizantha cv.Piata(62.8 h)(P < 0.05).It was concluded that in dairy cows, legume supplementation of B.brizantha cv.Piata increases nutrient intake, hence resulting in higher milk yields than supplementation of Napier grass.展开更多
As Lu Shipping tears up a $5,000 check offered by Zhou Puyuan and storms off in a huff,the classic Chinese play Thunderstorm comes to a close at the Beijing Foreign Studies University Auditorium.After playing only two...As Lu Shipping tears up a $5,000 check offered by Zhou Puyuan and storms off in a huff,the classic Chinese play Thunderstorm comes to a close at the Beijing Foreign Studies University Auditorium.After playing only two scenes,the actors—students from Edinburgh Napier University in the United Kingdom—won enthusiastic applause for their perfect interpretation.展开更多
基金Partial funding for this project was produced a Grant-in-Aid for Scientifc Research (B) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) to Tsunogae(Nos.20340148,22403017)a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows to Shimizu (No.23-311)
文摘A synthesis of the petrological characters of granulite facies rocks that contain equilibrium sapphirine ＋ quartz assemblage from two localities （Tonagh Island （TI） and Priestley Peak （PP）） in the Napier Complex,East Antarctica,provides unequivocal evidence for extreme crustal metamorphism possibly associated with the collisional orogeny during Neoarchean.The reaction microstructures associated with sapphirine ＋ quartz vary among the samples,probably suggesting different tectonic conditions during the metamorphic evolution.Sapphirine and quartz in TI sample were probably in equilibrium at the peak stage,but now separated by corona of Grt ＋ Sil ＋ Opx suggesting near isobaric cooling after the peak metamorphism,whereas the Spr ＋ Qtz ＋ Sil ＋ Crd ＋ Spl assemblage replaces garnet in PP sample suggesting post-peak decompression.The application of mineral equilibrium modeling in NCKFMASHTO system demonstrated that Spr ＋ Qtz stability is lowered down to 930 ℃ due to small Fe3＋ contents in the rocks （mole Fe2O3/（FeO ＋ Fe2O3） =0.02）.The TI sample yields a peak p-T range of 950-1100 ℃ and 7.5-11 kbar,followed by cooling toward a retrograde stage of 800-950 ℃ and 8-10 kbar,possibly along a counterclockwise p-T path.In contrast,the peak condition of the PP sample shows 1000-1050 ℃ and ＞12 kbar,which was followed by the formation ofSpr ＋ Qtz corona around garnet at 930-970 ℃ and 6.7-7.7 kbar,suggesting decompression possibly along a clockwise p-T trajectory.Such contrasting p-T paths are consistent with a recent model on the structural framework of the Napier Complex that correlates the two areas to different crustal blocks.The different p-T paths obtained from the two localities might reflect the difference in the tectonic framework of these rocks within a complex Neoarchean subduction/collision belt.
基金Supported by an R&D Program of the China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology(JCGG14010)
文摘Napier grass, an important forage crop with potentials in multi-purpose applications, is widely grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. Low temperature severely limits its productivity and geographical distribution in temperate regions of the world. In this study, we investigated the effect of exogenous abscisic Acid(ABA) on chilling tolerance of napier grass(Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) seedlings. Seven-day-old napier grass seedlings were cultured in dd H_2O or ABA solution at different concentrations and exposed to 1 ℃ for different time durations. The chilling injury, membrane stability index(MSI) and proline content were estimated from leaf samples. The results showed that there was obvious morphological injury of leaf blighting and restrained growth for the seedlings under chilling stress, but this damage can be largely reduced(by 2/3) when the seedlings were treated by 100 μmol/L ABA in the culture solution, and that the application of exogenous ABA can help to maintain a good stability of leaf cell membrane as expressed by a high MSI value and a low level of proline in leaf cells. These results suggested that exogenous ABA can significantly alleviate chilling injury in napier grass seedlings by maintaining the stability of leaf cell membrane during chilling stress, and that the chilling tolerance was not ensured by a proline accumulation although a passive accumulation of proline was observed in the seedlings under chilling stress. Our results lay a preliminary foundation for future investigations on the molecular mechanisms of ABA induced chilling or freezing tolerance in napier grass.
文摘The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of Napier cultivars in terms of forage yield, plant morphology and nutrient contents under two different agro-ecology and geo-topographic conditions. Three Napier cultivars being conserved by Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), namely-BLRI</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Napier 1, (BN-1), BLRI</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Napier 3 (BN-3) and Merkeron (BN-5) were selected to cultivate in severe drought prone areas (called Barind) and non-drought area at Savar (Modhupur terrace). Stem cuttings were planted in rows apart from 70 cm and 35cm spacing between plants. Data of 6 consecutive harvests from a period of approximately one year were collected and analyzed statistically by “R” software. The results showed that cultivar and location had </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">a </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">significant (P < 0.001) effect on biomass yield, plant height and leaf-stem ratio (LSR), while number of tillers </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">significantly varied with locations. BN-3 yielded the highest biomass (33.32 t/ha/harvest) at non-drought location (42.98 t/ha/harvest). The highest plant height was obtained in BN-1 (171.2 cm) at non-drought location (174.6 cm). Number of tiller</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> per hill ranged from 25.4 to 26.3 among cultivars (P > 0.05) and the highest tillers were found at non-drought location (28.1 no). The best LSR was estimated from BN-5 (0.86) at drought location (0.95). The proximate analysis showed that CP, ADF and NDF in whole plant </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">varied significantly (P < 0.001), being the highest contents in BN-1 (10.69%, 46.20% and 54.58%, respectively). On the other hand, DM and ash contents did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) among cultivars which ranged from 15.80% to 17.13% and 13.10% to 14.58%, respectively. The highest CP content in whole plant was obtained at non-drought location (11.89%), while the lowest ash (10.57%) and NDF (52.71%) contents were obtained at the same location. The highest CP contents in leaf were found at non-drought (15.03%) and the lowest ash (9.86%) at the same location. The highest CP contents (5.90%) in stem were found at non-drought location, while the lowest ash (11.28%) and NDF (54.59%) contents </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were obtained </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">at the same location. Finally, the experiment reveals the superiority in biomass yield and nutritional quality (in</span><span style="font-family:""> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">terms of CP content) with the ranking orders of BN-3 > BN-1 > BN-5 and BN-1 > BN-3 > BN-5. Therefore, it may be concluded that BN-1, BN-3</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">,</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and BN-5 cultivars were well adapted in both drought and non-drought conditions, although performance showed better in later condition</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. However, in terms of forage yield and overall nutrient composition, the performance of BN-3 was the best irrespective of locations.
文摘The Central region of Kenya which is the second largest market oriented dairy zone, faces a threat in milk production. The challenge is a disease known as the napier head smut caused by Ustilago kamerunensis. This fungal microorganism is a facultative pathogen which has been reported to cause yield losses in napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) ranging from 25% to 46% across the affected areas. Additionally, there are reports of the continual spread of the disease into neighbouring county of Nakuru in Rift-Valley region which is the leading milk producing zone in the country. This scenario of spread is worrying combined with observation of variations in damage levels of napier grass clones across the five counties of Central Kenya. These observations led to the hypothesis that possible differences might be existing among the Ustilago kamerunensis variants in Kenya. Further, the differences in biomass yield losses that are within a certain percentage range mentioned-above, seemed to support the existence of possible differences. Therefore, to inform effective integrated management strategies of the pathogen in case it’s co-evolving, this study sought to determine the molecular differences of Ustilago kamerunensis isolates in affected counties using ITS 1 and 2 regions which are spanned by 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene. The Ustilago kamerunensis propagules were systematically collected from affected counties’ hot spot areas for sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The study revealed the most affected areas to be within the mean altitude level of 1988.17 ± 71.97 metres above sea level. Further, differences in the growth in vitro and molecular characteristics of the seemingly altitude restricted isolates were observed. The Kiambu, Nyandarau and Nakuru counties isolates clustered together, whereas those of Murang’a, Nyeri and Kirinyaga formed another clade. The sequences of sixteen Ustilago kamerunensis isolates were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers ranging from MG722754 to MG722769. The results suggest the existence of possible genetic divergence of the isolates which might be reflected in their pathogenic potential too. Effective integration of management strategies is vital towards slowing the phenomenon for an optimal mitigation of the disease in Kenya.
文摘The study aimed to explore the potential of dietary fats supplementation on the overall goat performance. Three (3) mature rumen-cannulated goats weighting 27.33 ± 1.53 kg housed in individual elevated metabolism stalls with customized fecal and urine collection tools with treatments replicated three times over time following the Complete Randomized Design (CRD). Animal</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">s</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> were randomly selected on different dietary treatment at different cycle. For each cycle, animals were provided with 30% concentrate on the morning based on feed requirements {3% of their body weight (BW) dry matter (DM) basis} of the animals. Ad libitum feeding of Napier grass will follow thereafter. Clean drinking water were made available all the times in the respective animal watering troughs. The rumen-cannulated goats were supplemented with different levels of two dietary fats (VCO and Lard) with dietary treatment combinations as follows, Control and VCO and Lard at 3% & 5%. Degradability of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were collected sequentially in every cycle of the study. There were seven (7) days lag period in every cycle for the animals to return to each natural state. On the 8th day of every cycle, animals were given different dietary treatment. Sequential insertion of nylon bag was done on the 15th to</span><span style="font-family:""> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">16th day (7 days after treatment). The results showed that degradability of the dry matter (DM) was noticed degraded exponentially on the first twelve hours of incubation and slower down </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">i</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">n the next few hours until 48 hours. Crude protein, acid and neutral detergent fiber showed breakdown of components was observed </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">i</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">n the first 48 hours of incubation. No significant difference (P > 0.05) among treatment means was observed in all parameters gathered. This implies that mature female goat diet cannot be influenced by dietary fats from two different sources (VCO and Lard) at 3% to 5% supplementation. Based on the study conducted, dietary fats supplementation on goats such as VCO and lard given at the maximum level of 5% level did not influence the nutrient degradability of Napier grass in the rumen until it reaches at 48 hours of incubation. Supplementing ruminant diets with dietary fat in goats could increase the energy density of the animal’s diet without adverse effect on rumen degradability. This simple, easy, and basic technique could also be applied to other animal species in pursuit </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">of</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> finding ways to formulate indigenous feedstuff materials that have potential nutritive values. Given the limitations such as the climatic and environmental constraints, this particular study would somehow serve as benchmark in conducting related researches in optimizing the conditions with respect to animal nutrition and feedstuff utilization. Thus, this study was done to augment productivity and to provide new opportunities for achieving enhanced growth performance in a way that alleviates poverty, improves food security and nutrition and promotes sustainable use of natural resources.
文摘Dwarf, late-heading (DL) Napier grass is suitable for both cut-and-carry and grazing management due to sufficient yield and quality potential. This species can hardly produce viable seed, and thus vegetative propagation should be essential before winter in temperate regions of southern Kyushu. The objective of this study was to determine the efficient storage methods of DL vegetative propagation. Two experiments were carried out, the first focused on indoor storage of 10-node stem sections under room or chilling (10°C) conditions and the second, on underground storage of ten-node and one-node stem sections at 10 cm, 25 cm or 40 cm depth. After both storages, both of ten-node stem sections, cut into single nodes, and one-node stem sections were transplanted into the soil and counted for the emergence every month in 3 months of planting. In indoor-storage, while storage temperature hardly affected the emergence (P > 0.05), storage period significantly reduced the emergence percentage. In underground storage, while one-node storage achieved constantly 60% emergence, ten-node storage achieved a higher emergence at 80% under 25-cm and 40-cm depths. The results of the study suggest that underground storage of longer stem sections at 25 cm depth could be applied to practical vegetative propagation in the region.
文摘Napier grass （Pennisetum purpureum Schumach）, a C4 tropical plant, has high dry matter productivity and sustainability without the need for renovating every year due to good overwintering ability and the absence of serious pathogens or insects injury. This grass is suitable for multipurpose use, providing forage, bioethanol feedstock and phytoremediation of cadmium （Cd） contaminated soil in Kyushu, Japan. When two cultivars of Napier grass （Wruk wona, WK and Merkeron, ME） were grown in Cd-contaminated soils, dry matter yield and the concentration and uptake of herbage Cd were higher in WK than in ME, and soil Cd concentration was reduced by 14% in a single season of cultivation. A dwarf variety of late-heading type （DL）, Napier grass had superior sustainability for more than 5 years in Miyazaki, Japan, and has gradually increased in cultivation areas for both cut-and-carry and grazing herbage production in cooperation with regional communities. Through the extension in several Kyushu areas, DL Napier grass required temperatures above -6.2 ~C for sustainability in winter, based on its threshold response to the lethal minimum temperature. DL Napier grass pasture can be utilized by grazing beef cattle even in early spring with temperate Italian ryegrass inter-sown into its inter-row spaces. Organic digested animal manure or sun-dried leguminous leaves as green manure can replace chemical fertilizers to reduce energy consumption and allow comparable productivity.
文摘Fuelization of Italian ryegrass and Napier grass was examined by the combination of biological treatments and photocatalytic reforming (photo-Reform). The alkali-pretreated Italian ryegrass and Napier grass were subjected to the enzymatic saccharification using cellulase and xylanase. Xylose and glucose were produced in 56.6% and 71.1% from Italian ryegrass and in 49.5% and 67.3% from Napier grass, respectively. Xylose and glucose were converted to hydrogen by the photo-Reform using a Pt-loaded titanium oxide (Pt/TiO2) under UV irradiation. Moreover, a low-moisture anhydrous ammonia (LMAA) pretreatment was performed for Italian ryegrass and Napier grass by keeping moist powdered biomass under NH3 gas atmosphere at room temperature for four weeks. The Italian ryegrass and Napier grass which were pretreated by LMAA method were subjected to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using a mixture of cellulase and xylanase as well as Saccharomyces cerevisiae in acetate buffer (pH 5.0). Ethanol and xylose were produced in 91.6% and 51.6% from LMAA-pretreated Italian ryegrass and 78.6% and 68.8% from Napier grass, respectively. After the evaporation of ethanol, xylose was converted to hydrogen by the photo-Reform. In the case of saccharification→photo-Reform, energy was recovered as hydrogen from the alkali-pretreated Italian ryegrass and Napier grass in 71.9% and 77.0% of energy recovery efficiency, respectively. In the case of SSF→photo-Reform, the energy was recovered in 82.7% and 77.2% as ethanol and hydrogen from the LMAA-pretreated Italian ryegrass and Napier grass, respectively.
文摘Napier, a fast growing and perennial grass has a dry matter (DM) yield potential of 78 tons/ha/yr. However, under water availability constraints Napier’s yield potential reduces to 62 tons/ha/yr. In an effort to attain Napier’s yield potential, irrigation management strategies have been integrated into its production to provide the highest productivity. This review assesses the effect of irrigation water management strategies on Napier productivity and also looks at future perspectives. Application of these strategies <em>i.e.</em>, precision irrigation, deficit irrigation, and application of biophysical models, can increase Napier’s yield potential to 112 tons/ha/yr. Review findings revealed that there is a need to close the knowledge gap on response of Napier productivity to different irrigation water management strategies. The future perspective explores the potential of the FAO AquaCrop model in provision of pre-season decision-making on irrigation strategies due to its relatively low cost and simplifications required in parameterization.
文摘AD （anaerobic digestion） is a beneficial and efficient technique for the treatment of agricultural wastes, food wastes and wastes water to produce renewable energy. Solid agricultural are potential renewable energy resoures. Biogas production by co-digestion of mixed Napier Pak Chong I and food waste at thermophilic temperature using anaerobic digestion in cow dung and chicken dung as the seed inoculums were investigated. The total reactor volume of the co-digester reactor was 7.94 m^3, which was equipped with pump, and it was operated continuously for the 20 days as a pilot scale at 50 ℃. The Napier Pak Chong I was cut into 2 mm sections, and the initial VS （volatile solids） was 30%. The initial VS of food waste were 70%. Two pilot-scale digesters filled with Napier Pak Chong I and food waste, which both digesters contained 476 kg of Napier Pak Chong I mixed 305 L of food waste, and 1305 L of water. There were carried out to investigate the optimum C/N （carbon to nitrogen） ratio for effective biogas production. The slurry raw materials provided sufficient buffering capacity to maintain appropriate pH values （between 7.0 and 8.0）. Digester I was designed for 1.98 m^3 of cow dung as the seed inoculum while digester II was designed to establish 1.98 m^3 of chicken dung as the seed inoculum. Gas detector performs analysis gas production. The m^3/day in digester I and 1.86 m^3/day from digester II, resulting in added, respectively. Biogas production in digester I was directly experimental results indicate that total biogas production was 2.19 specific methane yields of 1.26 m^3 CH4/kgVS and 1.07 m^3 CH4/kgVS correlated with temperature.
基金financial support from Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) funded project on "Climate smart Brachiaria grasses to improve livestock production in East Africa" through Biosciences for eastern and central Africa under International Livestock Research Institute (Bec A-ILRI),Nairobi,Kenyathe CGIAR Fund
文摘This study was planned to analyse the basis that make Brachiaria species with greater feeding value than Napier grass(Pennisetum purpureum) for lactating dairy cows.Forty lactating crossbred cows were stallfed on Brachiaria brizantha cv.Piata or Napier grass cv.French Cameroon supplemented(mixed on fresh matter basis) or unsupplemented with Desmodium distortum, a forage legume.All cows were fed on fresh matter basis under small-holder farming conditions.Results showed that B.brizantha cv.Piata had higher contents of dry matter(DM), crude protein(CP) and organic matter(OM), but lower contents of neutral detergent fibre(NDF) and acid detergent fibre(ADF) than Napier grass(P < 0.001).The legume supplementation increased intakes of CP and metabolizable energy(ME; P < 0.001), with higher effect on cows fed B.brizantha cv.Piata than on cows fed Napier grass.Average daily milk yield was lower on diets based on Napier grass than those based on B.brizantha cv.Piata(P < 0.001).The retention time of the particle phase of digesta in the digestive tract was longer on Napier grass(83.1 h) than on B.brizantha cv.Piata(62.8 h)(P < 0.05).It was concluded that in dairy cows, legume supplementation of B.brizantha cv.Piata increases nutrient intake, hence resulting in higher milk yields than supplementation of Napier grass.
文摘As Lu Shipping tears up a $5,000 check offered by Zhou Puyuan and storms off in a huff,the classic Chinese play Thunderstorm comes to a close at the Beijing Foreign Studies University Auditorium.After playing only two scenes,the actors—students from Edinburgh Napier University in the United Kingdom—won enthusiastic applause for their perfect interpretation.
