• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.806-811
• /
• 2002

A 90 d study was designed to investigate the effects of rumen undegradable protein (RUP) and a mixture of Cu, Zn and Mn proteinate (CZMP) on milk yield and composition and ovarian functions during rainy months. Twenty four Holstein${\times}$ indigenous cows in their 2nd and 3rd lactation were randomly allocated to total mixed rations (TMR) containing soy bean meal (SBM) as a source of rumen degradable protein (RDP), SBM plus CZMP, and formalin treated SBM (FSBM) as a source of RUP. Maximum and minimum temperature humidity index during the experimental period were 83.6-84.7 and 75.4-76.1. There were no differences (p>0.05) in intakes of dry matter, crude protein and net energy and in contents of butterfat, lactose and minerals. Cows on TMR containing FSBM not only lost less weight (-278, -467 and -433 g/d) with more intake of RUP (0.92, 0.58 and 0.59 kg/d) but also produced more milk (19.27, 18.23 and 18.13 kg/d) and 4% fat corrected milk (18.57, 17.57 and 17.51 kg/d) with more protein (3.06, 2.81 and 2.80%), solids-not-fat (8.69, 8.38 and 8.38%) and less milk urea N (9.3, 15.4 and 15.0 mg/dl) compared with those on TMR containing SBM and SBM+CZMP, respectively (p<0.01). However, cows on TMR containing SBM and SBM+CZMP did not differ in these respects (p>0.05). Whereas incidence of cystic ovaries at 20 and 90 d pospartum was less (p<0.01) in cows on TMR containing SBM+CZMP (37.3 and 12.5%) than those on TMR containing SBM (62.5 and 25%), it was nil for cows on TMR containing FSBM. Cows in all three group differed (p<0.01) from each other for the recurrence of first observed estrus with those on TMR containing FSBM having least days (22, 36 and 47 d) compared with their counterpart on TMR containing SBM+CZMP and SBM, repectively. The results suggest that RUP is one of the limiting factors affecting milk yield and its composition and ovarian functions during early lactation of dairy cows in the tropics.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2008

In this study we investigated the effects of the microclimatic conditions on tree growth in different site types for natural deciduous forests in Korea. First, we classified all the sites into 36 types according to their aspect (east, west, south, and north), elevation (higher than 1,000 m, 700$\sim$1,000 m, and lower than 700 m), and topographical conditions (ridge, slope, and valley). For each site type, we measured diameter growth with increment borer, and then estimated periodic annual increment of diameter, height and volume. We applied a topoclimatological technique for estimating microclimatic conditions, and produced monthly climatic estimates from which 17 weather variables (including indices of warmth, coldness, and aridity) were computed for each site type. The periodic annual increments of diameter, height, and volume were then correlated by regression analysis with those weather variables to examine effects of microclimate on tree growth by site type. We found that the correlation of diameter growth by site type was significantly correlated with most weather variables except daily photoperiod. Water condition was the most important factor for the height growth. For volume growth, on the other hand, the conditions such as relatively high temperature and low humidity provided favorable environment. Our regression analysis shows that aridity index is a good predictor for tree growth including diameter, height and volume increments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.9
• /
• pp.1407-1413
• /
• 2019

Objective: This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of different sources and inclusion levels of dietary fat on productive performance and egg quality in laying hens raised under hot environmental conditions. Methods: A total of 480 Hy-Line Brown laying hens at 31 wk of age were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 experimental diets. The control diet contained 2,800 kcal/kg nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy with no fat addition. Four additional diets were prepared by adding 2.0% or 4.0% of animal fat (AF) or soybean oil (SO). Energy and nutrient concentrations were consistent among all diets. Diets were fed to hens for 4 weeks. Average daily room temperature and humidity were $26.7^{\circ}C{\pm}1.52^{\circ}C$ and $77.4%{\pm}4.50%$. The heat stress index was approximately 76, indicating that hens were raised under heat stress conditions. Results: Final body weight (BW) was greater (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing 2.0% or 4.0% AF than for those fed the control diet or diets containing 2.0% or 4.0% SO. The BW gain and feed intake were greater (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing additional AF or SO than those fed the control diet. Eggshell thickness was the greatest (p<0.05) for hens fed the control diet, but the least (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing 4.0% SO. Egg yolk color was the greatest (p<0.05) for hens fed the control diet, but the least (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing 4.0% SO. Conclusion: Inclusion of supplemental fat (AF and SO) in diets exhibits preventative effects on BW loss for hens raised under hot environmental conditions when energy and nutrient concentrations in diets were maintained. The effects were greater for AF than for SO. However, inclusion of supplemental fat in diets decreases eggshell thickness and egg yolk yellowness, possibly due to a reduction in Ca absorption and intake of egg yolk colorants.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.386-404
• /
• 2022

From April 29 to 30, 2011, under the influence of Asian dust originated from Mongolia, a high concentration of Asian dust was observed nationwide for 4 days in Korea. This study investigated the causes and characteristics of and weather conditions associated with Asian dust at high concentrations at its source in Mongolia. For analysis, Asian dust weather data, Asian dust monitoring tower data, satellite data, backward trajectory data, observation data (PM₁₀ and OPC data), and ECMWF reanalysis data were used. In the synoptic analysis, it was observed that the intervals of isobars were densely distributed in the central region of Mongolia and the pressure gradient force was strong. It could be inferenced that Asian dust occurred due to strong winds. The temperature was relatively high, above 10℃, just before the occurrence of Asian dust, and it decreased sharply at the onset of the dust. The relative humidity had a low value of less than approximately 40%. After the occurrence of Asian dust, it increased sharply to over 50% and then showed a tendency to decrease. In the aerosol index shown by the COMS satellite, a high concentration value of over 25 was detected in Inner Mongolia, and it was consistent with the observations made with naked eyes. In the 72-hour backward trajectory, the northwest airflow streamed into Korea, and on May 2, Heuksando showed the highest PM₁₀ concentration of 1,025 ㎍ m^-3(times the average). Especially, in kinematic vertical analysis, it was observed that low pressure on the ground was strengthened by cyclonic relative vorticity developed in the upper layer. Also, the vertical velocity development is considered to have played a major role in the occurrence of high concentration Asian dust.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.543-552
• /
• 2022

When frost occurs, crops are directly damaged. When crops come into contact with low temperatures, tissues freeze, which hardens and destroys the cell membranes or chloroplasts, or dry cells to death. In July 2020, a sudden sub-zero weather and frost hit the Minas Gerais state of Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, damaging about 30% of local coffee trees. As a result, coffee prices have risen significantly due to the damage, and farmers with severe damage can produce coffee only after three years for crops to recover, which is expected to cause long-term damage. In this paper, we tried to predict frost using frost generation data and weather observation data provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration to prevent severe frost. A model was constructed by reflecting weather factors such as wind speed, temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness. Using XGB(eXtreme Gradient Boosting), SVM(Support Vector Machine), Random Forest, and MLP(Multi Layer perceptron) models, various hyper parameters were applied as training data to select the best model for each model. Finally, the results were evaluated as accuracy(acc) and CSI(Critical Success Index) in test data. XGB was the best model compared to other models with 90.4% ac and 64.4% CSI, followed by SVM with 89.7% ac and 61.2% CSI. Random Forest and MLP showed similar performance with about 89% ac and about 60% CSI.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.64 no.6
• /
• pp.1046-1062
• /
• 2022

This study investigated the effects of L-glutamine (Gln) supplementation on growth performance, physiological traits, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and gene expression related to muscle and adipose tissue development in Hanwoo steers under heat stress (HS) conditions. Eight Hanwoo steers (initial body weight [BW] 570.7 ± 43.6 kg, months of age 22.3 ± 0.88) were randomly separated into two groups, control and treatment, and supplied with the concentration (1.5% of BW kg/day/head) and rice straw (1.5 kg/day/head). The treatment group were fed the Gln supplementation (0.5% of concentration, as-fed basis) once a day at 08:00 h. Blood samples for the assessment of haematological and biochemical parameters and the separation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected four times, at 0, 3, 6, and 10 weeks of the experiment. Feed intake was measured daily. BW to analyze growth performance and hair follicle collection to analyze the expression of HSPs were executed four times at 0, 3, 6, and 10 weeks. To analyze gene expression, longissimus dorsi muscle samples were collected by biopsy at the end of the study. As a result, growing performance, including final BW, average daily gain, and gain-to-feed ratio, were not different between the two groups. Leukocytes including lymphocytes and granulocytes, tended to increase in the Gln supplementation group (p = 0.058). There were also no differences in biochemical parameters shown between the two groups, except total protein and albumin, both of which were lower in the Gln supplementation group (p < 0.05). Gene expressions related to muscle and adipose tissue development were not different between the two groups. As temperature-humidity index (THI) increased, HSP70 and HSP90 expression in the hair follicle showed a high correlation. HSP90 in the hair follicle was decreased in the treatment group compared with the control group at 10 weeks (p < 0.05). Collectively, dietary Gln supplementation (0.5% of concentration, as-fed basis) may not be influential enough to affect growth performance and gene expression related to muscle and adipose tissue development in steers. However, Gln supplementation increased the number of immune cells and decreased HSP90 in the hair follicle implying HS reduction in the corresponding group.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.65 no.1
• /
• pp.132-148
• /
• 2023

Ruminants are the main contributors to methane (CH₄), a greenhouse gas emitted by livestock, which leads to global warming. In addition, animals experience heat stress (HS) when exposed to high ambient temperatures. Organic trace minerals are commonly used to prevent the adverse effects of HS in ruminants; however, little is known about the role of these minerals in reducing enteric methane emissions. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the influence of dietary organic trace minerals on rumen fermentation characteristics, enteric methane emissions, and the composition of rumen bacteria and methanogens in heat-stressed dairy steers. Holstein (n=3) and Jersey (n=3) steers were kept separately within a 3×3 Latin square design, and the animals were exposed to HS conditions (Temperature-Humidity Index [THI], 82.79 ± 1.10). For each experiment, the treatments included a Control (Con) consisting of only basal total mixed rations (TMR), National Research Council (NRC) recommended mineral supplementation group (NM; TMR + [Se 0.1 ppm + Zn 30 ppm + Cu 10 ppm]/kg dry matter), and higher concentration of mineral supplementation group (HM; basal TMR + [Se 3.5 ppm + Zn 350 ppm + Cu 28 ppm]/kg dry matter). Higher concentrations of trace mineral supplementation had no influence on methane emissions and rumen bacterial and methanogen communities regardless of breed (p > 0.05). Holstein steers had higher ruminal pH and lower total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations than Jersey steers (p < 0.05). Methane production (g/d) and yield (g/kg dry matter intake) were higher in Jersey steers than in Holstein steers (p < 0.05). The relative abundances of Methanosarcina and Methanobrevibacter olleyae were significantly higher in Holstein steers than in Jersey steers (p < 0.05). Overall, dietary organic trace minerals have no influence on enteric methane emissions in heat-stressed dairy steers; however, breed can influence it through selective alteration of the rumen methanogen community.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.245-257
• /
• 2023

The representative crop in the Republic of Korea, rice, is cultivated over extensive areas every year, which resulting in reduced resistance to pests and diseases. One of the major rice diseases, rice blast disease, can lead to a significant decrease in yields when it occurs on a large scale, necessitating early detection and effective control of rice blast disease. Drone-based crop monitoring techniques are valuable for detecting abnormal growth, but frequent image capture for potential rice blast disease occurrences can consume significant labor and resources. The purpose of this study is to early detect rice blast disease using remote sensing data, such as drone and satellite images, along with weather data. Satellite images was helpful in identifying rice cultivation fields. Effective detection of paddy fields was achieved by utilizing vegetation and water indices. Subsequently, air temperature, relative humidity, and number of rainy days were used to calculate the risk of rice blast disease occurrence. An increase in the risk of disease occurrence implies a higher likelihood of disease development, and drone measurements perform at this time. Spectral reflectance changes in the red and near-infrared wavelength regions were observed at the locations where rice blast disease occurred. Clusters with low vegetation index values were observed at locations where rice blast disease occurred, and the time series data for drone images allowed for tracking the spread of the disease from these points. Finally, drone images captured before harvesting was used to generate spatial information on the incidence of rice blast disease in each field.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.896-907
• /
• 2024

Objective: The potential of aqueous extract of Christ's thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) leaves (SLAE) to reduce the negative impacts of heat stress on production performance and physiological traits was investigated in dual-purpose layers under subtropical farming. Methods: A total of 200, 25-week-old laying hens (Inshas strain) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments including SLAE at 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mL/kg, respectively. The average temperature-humidity index value was 26.69 during the experimental period. The SLAE contained saponin (0.045%), total flavonoid content of 17.9 mg of quercetin equivalent/100 g and overall antioxidant capacity concentration of 17.9 mg of ascorbic acid equivalent/100 g. Results: The maximum final body weight (BW), BW gain, egg weight, number, and mass occurred at the level of SLAE7.5 inclusion. The egg quality was significantly higher in SLAE groups than in control, and overall, SLAE7.5 had the most favorable influence at 28 and 32 weeks. Liver and kidney function, as well as lipids profile, improved significantly by SLAE inclusion; the lowest concentrations of these parameters were in SLAE7.5 hens. Treatment with SLAE7.5 increased total antioxidant capacity and endogenous antioxidant enzymes compared to control, whereas no effect on superoxide dismutase was noticed. Conclusion: The addition of SLAE at 7.5 mL/kg diet improved egg laying performance and quality, metabolic profiles, and antioxidant status during hyperthermia conditions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.505-513
• /
• 2017

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate whether ambient temperature and dietary glycerol addition affect growth performance, and blood metabolic and immunological parameters, in beef cattle. Methods: Twenty Korean cattle steers ($405.1{\pm}7.11kg$ of body weight [BW], $14.2{\pm}0.15$ months of age) were divided into a conventional control diet group (n = 10) and a 2% glycerol- added group (n = 10). Steers were fed 1.6% BW of a concentrate diet and 0.75% BW of a timothy hay diet for 8 weeks (4 weeks from July 28th to August 26th and 4 weeks from August 27th to September 26th). Blood was collected four times on July 28th, August 11th, August 27th, and September 26th. Results: The maximum indoor ambient temperature-humidity index in August (75.8) was higher (p<0.001) than that in September (70.0), and in August was within the mild heat stress (HS) category range previously reported for dairy cattle. The average daily gain (ADG; p = 0.03) and feed efficiency (p<0.001) were higher in hotter August than in September. Glycerol addition did not affect ADG and feed efficiency. Neither month nor glycerol addition affected blood concentrations of cortisol, triglyceride, or non-esterified fatty acid. Blood concentrations of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, glucose, and albumin were lower (p<0.05) on August 27th than on September 26 th, and blood phosphorus, calcium and magnesium concentrations were also lower on August 27th than on September 27th. Glycerol addition did not affect these blood parameters. Percentages of $CD4^+$ T cells and $CD8^+$ T cells were higher (p<0.05) on July 28th than on August 27th and September 26th. The blood $CD8^+$ T cell population was lower in the glycerol supplemented-group compared to the control group on July 28th and August 27th. Conclusion: Korean cattle may not be significantly affected by mild HS, considering that growth performance of cattle was better in hotter conditions, although some changes in blood metabolic and mineral parameters were observed.