• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1429-1437
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• 2003

Browse tree legume leaves from Acacia spp (A. nilotica, A. tortilis, A. polyacantha), Dichrostachys sp, Flagea villosa, Piliostigma thonningii, Harrisonia sp were evaluated for nutritive potential (chemical compositions and degradability characteristics) compared to Gliricidia sepium. Effect of tannins anti-nutritive activity on digestibility was also assessed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) tannin bioassay. Crude protein (CP), ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) differed (p<0.05) between legume foliages. Mean CP, ash, NDF, ADF and ADL for fodder species tested were 158, 92, 385, 145, and 100 g/kg DM, respectively. CP ranged from 115 (P. thonningii) to 205 g/kg DM (G. sepium). Acacia spp had moderate CP values (g/kg DM) of 144 (A. nilotica), to high CP in A. tortilis (188) and A. polyacantha (194) comparable to G. sepium. The forages had relatively lower fiber compositions. A. nilotica had (p<0.05) lowest NDF, ADF and ADL (182, 68 and 44) compared to P. thonningii (619, 196 and 130) g/kg DM, respectively. Except G. sepium, all fodder species had detectable high phenolic and tannin contents greater than 5% DM, an upper beneficial level in animal feeding and nutrition. Mean total phenolics (TP), total tannins (TT) and condensed tannins (CT) (or proanthocyanidins) for fodder species tested were 139, 113 and 43 mg/g DM, respectively. F. villosa had (p<0.05) lowest TP and TT of 65 and 56 mg/g DM, respectively, compared to A. nilotica (237 and 236 mg/g DM, respectively). The CT varied (p<0.05) from 6 (F. villosa) to 74 mg/g DM (Dichrostachys sp). In vitro organic matter (OM) degradability (OMD) differed (p<0.05) between fodder species. G. sepium had (p<0.05) high degradability potential compared to A. polyacantha that had (p<0.05) the lowest OMD values. Forage degradability ranked: G. sepium>A. nilotica>P. thonningi>F. villosa>Dichrostachys sp>A. tortilis>A. polyacantha. Addition of PEG resulted to (p<0.05) improvement in in vitro OM digestibility (IVD). Increase in IVD was mainly due to binding action of PEG on tannins; and represents potential nutritive values previously depressed by tannins anti-nutritive activity. Browse fodder has potential as sources of ruminal nitrogen especially for ruminants consuming low quality roughages due to high protein, lower fiber compositions and high potential digestibility. However, utilization of browse supplements in ruminants is hampered by high phenolic and tannin contents. Deactivation of tannin anti-nutritive activity, possibly by feeding tanniniferous browse with other readily available nitrogen sources to dilute tannin anti-nutritive activity could improve utilization of browse fodder supplements. Further studies are needed to assess browse fodder palatability and intake, and their effect on growth performance in ruminants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.521-525
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• 2006

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of flushing of ewes with concentrate pellets just before the mating season on their nutrient utilization and reproductive performance on farms. Forty-eight Malpura ewes, 1-5 years old were randomly divided into 2 groups of 24 each (G1and G2). Ewes in both the groups were grazed on natural rangeland from 07.00 to 18.00 hr followed by night shelter in animal shed. G1 ewes were maintained on sole grazing while G2 ewes, in addition to grazing, received concentrate pellets at the rate of 1.5% of their body weight. The mean biomass yield of the community rangeland was 0.46 ton DM/hectare. The intakes of DM (g/kg $W^{0.75}$), DCP (g/kg $W^{0.75}$) and ME (MJ/kg $W^{0.75}$) were higher (p<0.01) in G2 as compared to that of G1 being 86.5, 10.2 and 1.15 and 57.5, 4.7 and 0.75, respectively. The digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF and hemicellulose were also higher (p<0.01) in G2 as compared to that of G1 being 57.2, 76.7, 78.9, 51.9 and 81.6 and 50.8, 68.7, 68.4, 45.4 and 74.4, respectively. The conception rate was higher (79.2%) in flushed ewes as compared to that of non-flushed (66.7%). Five of the pregnant ewes died and another 5 aborted in G1 while in G2, 5 ewes aborted with no mortality. The lambing was higher (73.7%) in G2 than that in G1 (37.5%). The birth weight of lambs was higher (p<0.05) in G2 (3.47 kg) than that in G1 (2.95 kg). Further, the birth weight of male lambs was higher (3.28) than that of female lambs (3.14). It is concluded that the biomass yield of the community rangeland in semi-arid region of India is low and insufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of ewes prior to mating season. However, concentrate supplementation at the rate of 1.5% of body weight to ewes during this critical stage enhanced their plane of nutrition, reproductive performance, body condition and birth weights of lambs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1597-1602
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• 2006

The effects of different mineral supplementations on the milk yield of free-ranging Somali camels were investigated in two phases in a semi-arid region of northern Kenya during the dry and wet seasons in 2002 and 2003. In phase 1, twelve (12) lactating camels were selected at random to form four (4) groups each consisting of three camels. The first group served as the control and as a result received no mineral supplementation. In addition to the control diet the other groups received oral doses of minerals as follows over a 60-day period: T1 (P), T2 (High Cu low Co) and T3 (Low Cu high Co). The daily milk yield and blood mineral profiles were measured during the wet and dry seasons. The mean daily milk yield increased from 3.4 L/d to $4.3{\pm}0.3L/d$ and 5.2 L/d in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Fifteen (15) lactating camels were selected at random to form five groups each consisting of three replicates. The control group did not receive any mineral supplement. The other four groups in addition to the control diet, received the following treatments: T4 (Common Salt), T5 (High Co), T6 (High Co+P) and T7 (Low Co+P). Mineral supplement T6 produced significantly higher milk yield ($5.4{\pm}0.5$ and $6.5{\pm}0.7L/d$) during the dry and wet seasons. Both T6 and T7 had significantly higher milk yield than T4 and T5. During both phases, the blood Ca and P level significantly increased in camels receiving T1, 6 and 7. Animals that received only the trace mineral supplements had lower blood P compared to the ones receiving supplementary P and also the control. Supplementation of lactating camels with Co and P significantly (p<0.05) increased milk yield). Effect of common salt, commonly given by farmers, on milk yield was insignificant. It was concluded that mineral supplementation to lactating camels was beneficial, and that mineral supplements should include P and Co. Further research is required to establish P and Co requirements of lactating camels.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.171-182
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• 1973

Gemorphological and photogeological techniqes are applied to the problem of geological mapping of a semi-arid area, Albudeite, Southeastern Spain. As a result of this, a geological and surface materials map is made which shows the upper Miocene formation, which mainly consists of marl, limestone and sandstone, is further subdivided into three members, i. e. lower, middle and upper, and the post-Miocene deposits were differentiated into seven stratigraphic units, and mapped. The relationships between geology, landforms and land comlexes previously reognized have been reviewed. The methods adopted have proved to be valuable in interpreting and mapping a compex relationship in which highly variable bedrock outcrops and shallow surface materiales produced under sub-aerial conditios.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.304-304
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• 2017

In semi-arid countries such as Namibia, the flooding unexpectedly happens in a rainy season, causing losses in the yield of upland-adapted cereal crop. In flooding conditions, rice roots sequentially form aerenchyma and a barrier to radial oxygen loss (ROL), and oxygen is released into the rhizosphere near the root tips. Iijima et al. (2016) and Awala et al. (2016) reported that close mixed-planting with rice can mitigate the flood stress of co-growing upland-adapted cereal crop by modifying their rhizosphere microenvironments via the oxygen released from the rice roots. Moreover, by using the model system of hydroponic culture, it was confirmed that oxygen from rice roots was transferred to co-growing upland-adapted cereal crop in close mixed planting system (Kawato et al., 2016). However, it is not sure whether the ability of oxygen release varies among rice cultivars, because Kawato et al. (2016) used only one japonica cultivar, Nipponbare (Oryza sativa). The objective of this study was to compare the ability of oxygen release in rhizosphere among rice cultivars. The experiment was conducted in a climate chamber in Kindai University. We used 10 rice cultivars from three different rice species (O. sativa (var. japonica (2), var. indica (3)), Oryza glaberrima Steud. (2) and their interspecific progenies (3)) to compare the ability of oxygen release from the roots. According to the method by Kawato et al. (2016), the dissolved oxygen concentration of phase I (with shoot) and phase II (without shoot) were measured by a fiber optic oxygen-sensing probe. The oxygen released from rice roots was calculated from the difference of the measurements between phase I and phase II. The result in this study indicated that all of the rice cultivars released oxygen from their roots, and the amount of released oxygen was significantly correlated with the above-ground biomass (r = 0.710). The ability of oxygen release (the amount of the oxygen release per fresh root weight) of indica cultivars (O. sativa) tended to be higher as compared with the other cultivars. On the other hand, that of African rice (O. glaberrima) and the interspecific progenies tended to be lower. These results suggested that the ability of oxygen release widely varies among rice cultivars, and some of indica cultivars (O. sativa) may be suitable for close mixed-planting to mitigate flood stress of upland-adapted cereal crop.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.40 no.6 s.111
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• pp.694-715
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• 2005

I examine in this paper the change of land use and the development of desertification in Horqin desert, east Inner Mongolia, China. The change of land use in this area can be summarized as the increase of agricultural field and intensive livestock farming. The agriculture and livestock farming in semi-arid area such as Horqin desert raised the problem in the management and use of water and vegetation. This problem led to desertification. The types of development of desertification in this area could be classified as follows: the mobile sand dune extension, the riverside shifting sand flat extension, the shifting sand speck extension around settlements, and the shifting sand speck extension in agricultural Held and grassland. There have been political or social movements such as the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and the Reform and Open Policy in the background of land use change and desertification. Specially, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution played an important role in the land use change and desertification in this area. Since 1990s, there has been some kind of policy in the control of desertification. However, it is necessary for the controling desertification of this area to consider the globalization and marketization, the survival and profit of peasants and livestock farmers, and the disturbrd and fixed population and land use structure in this area since 1949.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.386-392
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• 2016

Background: Sorghum is a major cereal food crop used in many parts of the world. It has been grown on a subsistence level by farmers, under various conditions of environmental stresses in the semi-arid tropics of Africa and Asia. This plant has received significant attention because of its ability to reduce cholesterol in the blood, and its anti-dementia, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. It is possible to develop a functional and commercially viable sorghum variety by using superior cultivars of sorghum. The objective of this study was to build a database of superior sorghum accession. Methods and Results: We used 250 sorghum accessions collected from different geographical bioregions in Korea. We determined various agronomic characters including germination rate and ear length of these accessions. To determine the antioxidant capacity, we measured the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)-diammonium salt radical scavenging activity, total phenolic contents, and total flavonoid contents. Accession 189 showed higher germination (> 80%) than the other accessions. Higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity was observed in 11-SB-078 ($RC_{50}$; $1.89{\pm}2.88{\mu}g/m{\ell}$), and higher 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)-diammonium salt radical scavenging activity was recorded in 11-SB-116 ($RC_{50}$; $35.48{\pm}2.42{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) than in the other accessions. The ear length ranged from 15 cm to 48 cm, the total phenolic contents ranged from $3mg{\cdot}GAE/g$ to $77mg{\cdot}GAE/g$, and total flavonoid contents ranged from $0.09mg{\cdot}QE/g$ to $1.07mg{\cdot}QE/g$. Conclusions: Among 250 sorghum accessions, we selected 10 with both superior agronomic characters and highly functional food quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1284-1291
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• 2020

Objective: To evaluate the effects of the carmine cochineal-resistant spineless cactus genotypes cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (Opuntia) and Miúda (Nopalea) on the intake and digestibility of nutrients, ingestive behavior, performance, and ultrasound measurements of growing lambs. Methods: Thirty-six male (non-castrated) Santa Inês lambs were used, with an average age of 6 months and an initial average weight of 22.0±2.9 kg. They were distributed in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments (Tifton hay, Nopalea and Opuntia) and 12 replications, using initial weight as a covariate. The experimental period was 86 days, with the first 30 days used for the adaptation of the animals to the facilities, diets and management, and the remaining 56 days used for evaluation and data collection. Results: The intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TC), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN) showed a significant difference (p<0.05) as a function of the diets, with the Nopalea treatment (p<0.05) increasing DM intake (g/kg and % body weight [BW]), CP, TDN, and TC digestibility, whereas the Tifton hay diet led to a high (p<0.001) neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) g/d intake, NDFap (BW %) and digestibility of said nutrient. There was no effect of treatments (p>0.05) on feeding time, however, rumination time and total chewing time were higher (p<0.05) for animals fed Tifton hay. The performance of the animals was similar (p>0.05). For the ultrasound measurements, Nopalea promoted an increase in the final loin eye area, compared to Tifton hay. Conclusion: The use of spineless cactus variety Miúda leads to the greater intake and digestibility of nutrients. The evaluated carmine cochineal-resistant spineless cactus genotypes are alternatives for semi-arid regions as they do not negatively affect the performance of growing lambs.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2019

Pterocarpus erinaceus is a multipurpose tree species indigenous to semi-arid and Guinean-savanna woodlands of Africa. Natural regeneration on the savanna is being hampered by higher fire frequencies and other land use changes. Simultaneously, demand for timber from the species on the international market is on the rise, raising conservation concerns. To ensure sustainability, good quality seeds, sources of which have not received much research focus, are needed for afforestation. This study investigated how seed quality, germinability and initial seedling growth of P. erinaceus might be influenced by land-use type, mother tree size as well as source and timing of fruit harvest, using both correlational and experimental approaches. The results showed that up to 94.6% of all harvested fruits contained seeds, with no differences found between fruits harvested from cultivated and non-cultivated lands. Percentage of (sound) unblemished seeds was found to be higher for fruits harvested early March (47.3%) than fruits from late April (39.5%). Percentage sound seeds was 41.4% for dispersed fruits (i.e. detached fruits picked from under mother trees) which was not found to differ from undispersed fruits (i.e. fruits harvested while still attached to mother trees) at 45.5%. Also, the influence of fruit harvest time was not found to be different for dispersed and undispersed fruits. Correlations between seed set (proportion of fruits containing seeds) and mother tree size (both tree height and DBH) were found to be very low and non-significant for both dispersed and undispersed fruits. Across mother trees, mean emergence percent was 79.7%, and mean seedling height at three weeks following emergence was 5.32 cm. Both emergence percentage and seedling height were not found to differ among mother trees, but seeds from dispersed fruits had a higher emergence percent (85%) than seeds from undispersed fruits (74%). Implications of findings are discussed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.3B
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• pp.285-293
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• 2010

Soil moisture is a key factor to control the exchange of water and energy between the surface and the atmosphere. In recent, many researches for spatial and temporal variability analyses of soil moisture have been conducted. In this study, we analyzed the spatio-temporal variability of soil moisture in Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona, U.S. during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 (SMEX04). The spatio-temporal variability analyses were performed to understand sensitivity of five observation sites with precipitation and relationship between mean soil moisture, and its standard deviation and coefficient of variation at the sites, respectively. It was identified that log-normal distribution was superior to replicate soil moisture spatial patterns. In addition, precipitation was identified as a key physical factor to understand spatio-temporal variability of soil moisure based on the temporal stability analysis. Based on current results, higher spatial variability was also observed which was agreed with the results of previous studies. The results from this study should be essential for improvement of the remotely sensed soil moisture retrieval algorithm.