Molybdenum (Mo) in rhizosphere influences sulfate assimilation as well as a number of other physiological aspects. In this study, the activity of key enzymes in sulfate assimilatory pathways, such as ATP sulfurylase (ATPs), adenosine 5'-phosphosulphate reductase (APR), as well as the responses of reactive oxygen species (ROS), were analyzed to elucidate the metabolic and physiological effects of external Mo supply to detached leaves of Trifolium repens L. Mo supply with a range from 1 mM to 40 mM depressed the activity of ATPs throughout the entire time course. In the leaves exposed to 1 mM Mo, a continuous decrease in the activity of ATPs was confirmed by Native-PAGE. The APR activity was also declined by Mo treatment. The accumulation of $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}-}$ were not significant up to 10 mM Mo, whereas a remarked accumulation was detected under 40 mM Mo supply. The data suggest that an external supply of Mo has an inhibitory effect on sulfate assimilation, and induces oxidative stress only at an extremely high concentration.

We have previously investigated the proteome changes of rice leaves under heat stress (Lee et al. in Proteomics 2007a, 7:3369-3383), wherein a group of antioxidant proteins and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found to be regulated differently. The present study focuses on the biochemical changes and gene expression profiles of heat shock protein and antioxidant genes in rice leaves in response to heat stress ($42^{\circ}C$) during a wide range of exposure times. The results show that hydrogen peroxide and proline contents increased significantly, suggesting an oxidative burst and osmotic imbalance under heat stress. The mRNA levels of chaperone 60, HSP70, HSP100, chloroplastic HSP26, and mitochondrial small HSP responded rapidly and showed maximum expression after 0.5 or 2 h under heat stress. Transcript levels of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD) showed a rapid and marked accumulation upon heat stress. While prolonged exposure to heat stress resulted in increased transcript levels of monodehydroascorbate reductase, peroxidase, glyoxalase 1, glutathione reductase, thioredoxin peroxidase, 2-Cysteine peroxiredoxin, and nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1, while the transcription of catalase was suppressed. Consistent with their changes in gene expression, the enzyme activities of APX and DHAR also increased significantly following exposure to heat stress. These results suggest that oxidative stress is usually caused by heat stress, and plants apply complex HSP- and antioxidant-mediated defense mechanisms to cope with heat stress.

This study examined the growth performance and field evaluation of the dual herbicide-resistant transgenic creeping bentgrass plants. The effect of glyphosate treatment on the herbicide resistance of the transgenic creeping bentgrass plants was determined, and the non-transgenic control plant withered at the concentration $11{\mu}g/mL$ or higher whereas the transgenic creeping bentgrass plants survived the treatment at the concentration of $3,000{\mu}g/mL$, and the increase of the plant length was repressed as the glyphosate treatment concentration was increased. At field evaluation, glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate were simultaneously treated to investigate the weed control effect. The results showed that more than 90% of the weeds withered four week after herbicide treatment, while the transgenic creeping bentgrass plants continued to grow normally. Therefore, the dual herbicide-resistant creeping bentgrass plants may be able to greatly contribute to the efficiency of weed control and to the economic feasibility of mowing in places such as golf courses.

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has become increasingly used as a rapid and accurate method of evaluating some chemical compositions in forages and feedstuff. This study was carried out to explore the accuracy of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the prediction of chemical parameters of fresh whole crop barley silages. A representative population of 284 fresh whole crop barley silages was used as a database for studying the possibilities of NIRS to predict chemical composition. Samples of silage were scanned at 1 nm intervals over the wavelength range 680~2,500 nm and the optical data were recorded as log 1/Reflectance (log 1/R) and were scanned in fresh condition. NIRS calibrations were developed by means of partial least-squares (PLS) regression. NIRS analysis of fresh whole crop barley silages provided accurate predictions of moisture, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude protein (CP) and pH, as well as lactic acid content with correlation coefficients of cross-validation ($R^2cv$) of 0.96, 0.81, 0.79, 0.84, 0.72 and 0.78, respectively, and standard error of cross-validation (SECV) of 1.26, 2.83, 2.18, 1.19, 0.13 and 0.32% DM, respectively. Results of this experiment showed the possibility of the NIRS method to predict the chemical parameters of fresh whole crop barley silages as a routine analysis method in feeding value evaluation and for farmer advice.

This work was conducted to assess the use of Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as a technique to analyze nutritional constituents of Distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) and corn quickly and accurately, and to apply an NIRS-based indium gallium arsenide array detector, rather than a NIRS-based scanning system, to collect spectra and induce and analyze calibration equations using equipment which is better suited to field application. As a technique to induce calibration equations, Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used, and for better accuracy, various mathematical transformations were applied. A multivariate outlier detection method was applied to induce calibration equations, and, as a result, the way of structuring a calibration set significantly affected prediction accuracy. The prediction of nutritional constituents of distillers dried grains with solubles resulted in the following: moisture ($R^2$=0.80), crude protein ($R^2$=0.71), crude fat ($R^2$=0.80), crude fiber ($R^2$=0.32), and crude ash ($R^2$=0.72). All constituents except crude fiber showed good results. The prediction of nutritional constituents of corn resulted in the following: moisture ($R^2$=0.79), crude protein ($R^2$=0.61), crude fat ($R^2$=0.79), crude fiber ($R^2$=0.63), and crude ash ($R^2$=0.75). Therefore, all constituents except for crude fat and crude fiber were predicted for their chemical composition of DDGS and corn through Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy.

This study was carried out to investigate the influence of the seeding dates on the yield and feed value in cultivating Italian rye grass on paddy soil. The field experiment was designed in a randomized block design of 3 repetitions with seeding dates of Oct. 19 (T1), Oct. 26 (T2), Nov. 2 (T3), Nov. 9 (T4), and Nov. 16 (T5) treatments. Plant length, fresh yield, dry matter yield and TDN yield were increased with early seeding dates (p<0.05). Crude protein, Crude fat and crude ash were increased with early seeding dates (p<0.05). On the other hand, NDF, ADF and Crude fiber were decreased with early seeding dates (p<0.05). Total mineral contents were higher in the order of T4 > T3 > T5 > T1 > T2 (p<0.05). The total composition amino acid content was decreased significantly (p<0.05) as the seeding dates delayed. Total free sugar content was highest in T1, whereas the lowest in T5 treatment (p<0.05). Nutrition yields (crude protein, crude fat, amino acid and free sugar) were increased significantly with early seeding dates (p<0.05). The above result indicated that it is favorable to seed soon after rice harvest to increase dry matter yield and nutrition yield of Italian ryegrass in the midlands.

This study was carried out to evaluate the physical characteristics of total mixed rations (TMR) prepared in Korea for improving productive effectiveness of dairy and beef cattle. The 40 samples of commercial TMR for dairy and beef cattle in 6 municipals were collected and analyzed for chemical composition and physical properties. There were significant regional differences (p<0.05) in dry matter and crude protein contents of TMR for dairy and beef cattle. In roughage value index (RVI), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content, and physically effective NDF (peNDF)$_{1.18}$ content, there were no regional differences in TMR for dairy cattle, but there were significant regional differences (p<0.05) in TMR for beef cattle. Thus the results from this study support that because RVI, NDF content, and peNDF content in TMR for dairy and beef cattle exceeded recommended ranges, a little adjustment in TMR for dairy cattle will be necessary to obtain optimal productivity.

An in vitro study was conducted to determine the effects of defaunation (removal of protozoa) and forage sources (rice straw, ryegrass and tall fescue) on ruminal fermentation characteristics, methane ($CH_4$) production and degradation by rumen microbes. Sodium lauryl sulfate, as a defaunation reagent, was added into the mixed culture solution to remove ruminal protozoa at a concentration of 0.375 mg/ml. Pure cellulose (0.64 g, Sigma, C8002) and three forage sources were incubated in the bottle of culture solution of mixed rumen microbes (faunation) or defaunation for up to 24 h. The concentration of ammonia-N was high under condition of defaunation compared to that from faunation in all incubations (p<0.001). Total VFA concentration was increased at 3, 6 and 12 h (p<0.05~p<0.01) but was decreased at 24 h incubation (p<0.001) under condition of defaunation. Defaunation decreased acetate (p<0.001) and butyrate (p<0.001) proportions at 6, 12 and 24 h incubation times, but increased propionate (p<0.001) proportion at all incubation times for forages. Effective degradability of dry matter was decreased by defaunation (p<0.001). Defaunation not only decreased total gas (p<0.001) and $CO_2$ (p<0.01~0.001) production at 12 and 24 h incubations, but reduced $CH_4$ production (p<0.001) at all incubation times for all forages. The $CH_4$ production, regardless of defaunation, in order of forage sources were rice straw > tall fescue > ryegrass > cellulose (p<0.001) up to 24 h incubation.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of biological membrane transfer modifier, lysophospholipd (LPLs) on the parameters from in vitro rumen simulated fermentation. Commercially available LPLs product (Lipidol$^{TM}$) was supplemented into experimental diets which consisted of orchard grass and concentrate diet (60:40) in different levels (0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5%). Then in vitro rumen simulated fermentation was performed. Although, a declining trend of pH was found in treatments, all pH values were detected in a range relevant to normal rumen fermentation. Gas production, ammonia nitrogen and total VFA production were greatly influenced by the supplementation of LPLs. All parameters were increased along with increased levels of LPLs in diet. As a result, 0.1% of Lipidol$^{TM}$ is recommended based on the determined in vitro rumen fermentative parameters in this study.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing additional sucrose, in the form of black sugar (BS), into the diet of Holstein dairy cows on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and milk composition. Eight Holstein dairy cows ($741{\pm}65.8kg$ body weight) were divided into two groups, including the control and BS groups. Animals in the control group were offered a total mixed ration (TMR) ad libitum, and the BS group was offered TMR with 300 g of BS/head/d. After two weeks of adaptation period, the animal performance, including DMI, milk yield and milk composition, was measured. Cows supplemented with BS appeared to consume more feed than that by the controls (i.e., 17.08 and 18.28 kg/d for the control and BS groups, respectively). However, there were no significant differences between treatments. Milk yield or milk composition, such as milk fat, milk protein, lactose, solids-non-fat, total solids and pH, did not differ between treatments. However, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the concentration of milk urea nitrogen (MUN). The MUN concentration of the BS group was approximately 15% lower than that of the control group (i.e., 18.75 vs. 16.05 mg/dL for the control and BS groups, respectively), which suggests improved nitrogen metabolism in the animals. The somatic cell count was numerically lower in the cows of the BS group compared to those in the control group. However, a significant difference was not noted due to the substantial amount of variation among cows. In terms of the trace mineral composition for milk, the concentration of Cu from BS animals was higher (p<0.05) than that of the control animals. In summary, supplementing the diets of dairy cows with BS marginally affected animal performance and improved nitrogen metabolism. The level of supplementation and other factors, such as animal variation were discussed.