• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.184-192
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• 2006

Six-hundred bacterial strains from human milk and milk from Sahiwal cows, Holstein Friesian cows, and buffaloes were screened for their ability to suppress phytopathogenic fungi under in vitro conditions. A consortium of 3 strains, viz., Bacillus lentimorbus B-30486 (B-30486), B. subtilis B-30487 (B-30487), and B. lentimorbus B-30488 (B-30488), isolated from Sahiwal cow milk resulted in better biological control and plant-growth promotion than single-strain treatments. For commercial-scale production of a bioinoculant, the solid-state fermentation of sugarcane agro-industrial residues, i.e., molasses, press mud, and spent wash, using the consortium of B-30486, B-30487, and B-30488, resulted in a value-added product, useful for enhancing plant growth. The application of the consortium to sugarcane fields infested with Fusarium moniliforme and Colletotrichum falcatum resulted in a reduction of mortality and significantly higher (P=0.05) plant height, number of tillers, and cane girth when compared with the control. Furthermore, under field conditions, the treatment of sugarcane with the consortium resulted in significantly (P=0.05) greater plant growth compared with nonbacterized plants. Accordingly, this is the first report on the effective use of bacteria isolated from milk for biological control and enhancing plant growth under field conditions. Furthormore, a solid-state fermentation technology was developed that facilitates the economic utilization of agro-industrial residues for environmental conservation and improving plant and soil health.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2007

The biotransformation of monoterpenic agro-industrial wastes (turpentine oil and essential orange oil) was studied. More than 40 fungal strains were isolated from Brazilian tropical fruits and eucalyptus trees and screened for biotransformation of the waste substrates. Solid phase microextraction was used to monitor the presence of volatile compounds in the headspaces of sporulated surface cultures. The selected strains were submitted to submerged liquid culture. The biotransformation of R-(+)-limonene and ${\alpha},\;{\beta}-$ pinenes from the oils resulted in ${\alpha}-terpineol$ and perillyl alcohol, and verbenol and verbenone, respectively, as the main products. The selected strains were also placed in contact with ${\alpha}-$ and ${\beta}-$ pinenes standards. It was confirmed that verbenol, verbenone, and ${\alpha}-terpineol$ were biotransformation products from the terpenes. A concentration of 90 mg/L of verbenone was achieved by Penicillium sp. 2360 after 3 days of biotransformation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.233-239
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• 1988

The base of Indian milk production is the millions of nondescript cows and buffaloes in rural areas, fed mainly on crop residues and agro-industrial wastes. The mainstay of the feeding system is straws and stovers. Therefore the approach to increase the fibrous residues utilisation for animal production was ideal and useful. The methods available for the above purpose were not found acceptable in rural areas owing to certain practical problems. The development of urea molasses block was, therefore aimed at solving the practical field problems. Urea Molasses Block has been developed as a feed supplement that can bring forth an effect of rumen manipulation thereby increase the conversion rate of feeds. The formula and process technology were thus developed. Before starting the mass production and popularisation the product was tested in controlled condition in farms and also in villages. Encouraged with the results the feed is now commercially manufactured under Indian Patent No. 156047.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.303-321
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• 2011

The availability and efficient use of the feed resources in Asia are the primary drivers of performance to maximise productivity from animals. Feed security is fundamental to the management, extent of use, conservation and intensification for productivity enhancement. The awesome reality is that current supplies of animal proteins are inadequate to meet human requirements in the face of rapidly depleting resources: arable land, water, fossil fuels, nitrogenous and other fertilisers, and decreased supplies of cereal grains. The contribution of the ruminant sector lags well behind that of non-ruminant pigs and poultry. It is compelling therefore to shift priority for the development of ruminants (buffaloes, cattle, goats and sheep) in key agro-ecological zones (AEZs), making intensive use of the available biomass from the forage resources, crop residues, agro-industrial by-products (AIBP) and other non-conventional feed resources (NCFR). Definitions are given of successful and failed projects on feed resource use. These were used to analyse 12 case studies, which indicated the value of strong participatory efforts with farmers, empowerment, and the benefits from animals of productivity-enhancing technologies and integrated natural resource management (NRM). However, wider replication and scaling up were inadequate in project formulation, including systems methodologies that promoted technology adoption. There was overwhelming emphasis on component technology applications that were duplicated across countries, often wasteful, the results and relevance of which were not clear. Technology delivery via the traditional model of research-extension linkage was also inadequate, and needs to be expanded to participatory research-extension-farmer linkages to accelerate diffusion of technologies, wider adoption and impacts. Other major limitations concerned with feed resource use are failure to view this issue from a farming systems perspective, strong disciplinary bias, and poor links to real farm situations. It is suggested that improved efficiency in feed resource use and increased productivity from animals in the future needs to be cognisant of nine strategies. These include priorities for feed resource use; promoting intensive use of crop residues; intensification of integrated ruminant-oil palm systems and use of oil palm by-products; priority for urgent, wider technology application, adoption and scaling up; rigorous application of systems methodologies; development of adaptation and mitigation options for the effects of climate change on feed resources; strengthening research-extension-farmer linkages; development of year round feeding systems; and striving for sustainability of integrated farming systems. These strategies together form the challenges for the future.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.961-967
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• 2018

Lao-native beef cattle are primarily Bos indicus, and most ruminant production in Laos is still dominated by small-scale or backyard producers that use traditional practices, resulting in low productivity. The cattle herd size in Laos has grown by an average of 5 percent per year from 1.52 million in 2010/11 to 1.81 million in 2014/15. In 2016, the Laos cattle population was 1.88 million head, with smallholder farmers representing 98% of production despite efforts by the Laos government to develop commercial-scale farms. There were 170 commercial cattle farms in 2016, with 56 percent in the Central region of Laos. Although, overall, ruminant meat production has tended to increase but with consumption at 7.29 kg/capita/yr in 2013, it remains insufficient to meet demand. Crop residues and agro-industrial by-products used in ruminant diets include rice straw, cassava pulp and wet brewers' grains as roughage, energy and protein sources, respectively. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 will connect China closely with all countries in Southeast Asia. This initiative will change landlocked Laos to land linked for investors who will benefit from convenient transport at a lower cost, promoting agricultural production in Laos.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.565-571
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• 2013

This is the first report on using Catathelasma ventricosum for production of fruiting body and lignocellulosic enzymes. To improve the laccase activity and productivity of mushroom, the substrate was added with different supplements (eight aromatic compounds, $Mn^{2+}$, and $Cu^{2+}$). Based on the results, all these supplements can improve the laccase activity and productivity of C. ventricosum, and it seems that there is a critical value of laccase activity that affects the productivity of C. ventricosum. In addition, when Penicillium decumbens was inoculated into the substrate that had been cultivated with C. ventricosum for 20 days, the highest values of laccase activity, FPA activity, and productivity of C. ventricosum were obtained. Moreover, the laccase activity showed a positive correlation with the productivity of C. ventricosum. Finally, the effect of $Mn^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, and P. decumbens on laccase activity was investigated by response surface methodology (RSM).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.215-222
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• 1997

Ten rice varieties were planted at two locations (lowland and highland), during the wet and dry seasons of different years. In vivo digestibility and voluntary intake of the straw, were determined in groups of fat-tail sheep, supplemented with $18g{\cdot}kg^{-0.75}$ concentrate DM, containing ~20% crude protein. Voluntary intake of digestible straw organic matter (DOMI) consistently varied from 15.2 to $20.9g{\cdot}kg^{-0.75}$ between straw varieties, averaged over locations, years and seasons, despite considerable variation between individual batches. This variation in the nutritive value of the straw was independent of straw and grain yield, so it would seem that there is scope for selection of rice varieties with straw of higher nutritive value. The variation in DOMI of straw among location of growth, year and season, was of a magnitude similar to the improvement brought about by urea-ammoniation. The in sacco degradation characteristics and digestibility of rice straw residues were superior to those of the offered straw. This can be attributed to a preference for rice straw leaves relative to stems. Averaged over location of growth, year and season, characteristics of in sacco degradation, i.e. the rate of fermentative degradation and the truly undegradable fraction, emerged as accurate predictors of the nutritive value of rice straw.