• Title/Summary/Keyword: agricultural innovation

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Effect of diets with different energy and lipase levels on performance, digestibility and carcass trait in broilers

  • Hu, Y.D.;Lan, D.;Zhu, Y.;Pang, H.Z.;Mu, X.P.;Hu, X.F.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.31 no.8
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    • pp.1275-1284
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    • 2018
  • Objective: A 28-d trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of diets with different energy and lipase levels on performance, nutrient digestibility, serum profiles, gut health, and carcass quality in broilers. Methods: A total of 720 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers ($45.4{\pm}0.5g$) were randomly assigned to one of the following four treatments: i) RET, reduced energy treatment (metabolizable energy = 2,950 and 3,100 kcal/kg for starter and finisher diet), ii) BDT, basal diet treatment (metabolizable energy = 3,050 and 3,200 kcal/kg for starter and finisher diet, iii) RET015, RET+0.15 g/kg lipase, and iv) RET03, RET+0.3 g/kg lipase. There were 10 replications (cages) per treatment with 18 birds per cage. Results: During d 1 to 14, broilers fed BDT, RET015, and RET03 diets had higher (p<0.05) body weight gain than those fed RET diet. During d 1 to 14, 15 to 28 and the overall experiment, feed conversion ratio in RET03 treatment was lower (p<0.05) compared with RET treatment. On d 14, the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), and gross energy in RET03 treatment was higher (p<0.05) than those in RET treatment, while the ATTD of N was increased (p<0.05) by RET03 treatment. On d 28, broilers fed RET03 diet had higher (p<0.05) ATTD of DM than those fed RET and RET015 diets, while the ATTD of EE in BDT and RET03 treatments was increased (p<0.05) compared with RET and RET015 treatments. Broilers fed RET03 diet had higher villus height (VH) and VH:crypt depth (CD) ratio than those fed RET and BDT diets. The activity of pancreatic lipase in BDT and RET03 treatments was higher (p<0.05) than that in RET treatment. Conclusion: Taken together, lipase supplementation (3,000 U/kg feed) increased growth performance, nutrient digestibility, VH, VH:CD ratio and lipase activity, but decreased triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the abdominal fat percentage in broilers fed reduced energy diet.

Expression patterns of TRα and CRABPII genes in Chinese cashmere goat skin during prenatal development

  • Zhong, Tao;Zhao, Wei;Zhou, Zhongqiang;Li, Li;Wang, Linjie;Li, Hua;Zhang, Hongping
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.57 no.8
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    • pp.28.1-28.7
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    • 2015
  • Background: The physiologic characteristics of the cashmere trait and many of the differentially expressed genes relevant to hair cycling have been extensively studied, whereas genes involved in the prenatal development of hair follicles have been poorly investigated in cashmere goats. The aim of this study, therefore, was to quantify the time-course changes in the expressions of $TR{\alpha}$ and CRABPII genes in the fetal skin of Chinese cashmere goats at the multiple embryonic days (E70, E75, E80, E90, E100, E120 and E130) using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results: RT-qPCR showed that $TR{\alpha}$ was expressed at E70 with relatively high level and then slightly decreased (E75, E80, and E90). The highest expression of $TR{\alpha}$ mRNA was revealed at E130 (P > 0.05). The expression pattern of CRABPII mRNA showed an 'up-down-up' trend, which revealed a significantly highest expression at E75 (P < 0.05) and was down-regulated during E80 to E120 (P < 0.05) and mildly increased at E130, subsequently. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that $TR{\alpha}$ and CRABPII genes expressed in different levels during prenatal development of cashmere. The present study will be helpful to provide the comprehensive understanding of $TR{\alpha}$ and CRABPII genes expressions during cashmere formation and lay the ground for further studies on their roles in regulation of cashmere growth in goats.

Characterization of Vaginal Microbiota Associated with Pregnancy Outcomes of Artificial Insemination in Dairy Cows

  • Chen, Shi-Yi;Deng, Feilong;Zhang, Ming;Jia, Xianbo;Lai, Song-Jia
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.30 no.6
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    • pp.804-810
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    • 2020
  • The profitability of the dairy and beef industries is largely affected by the actually achieved reproductive efficiency. Although a large proportion of cows worldwide are bred by artificial insemination (AI) services, many potential factors affecting the outcome of pregnancy by AI remain to be addressed. In the present study, we investigated the vaginal microbiota by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and analyzed their association with differential pregnancy outcomes (i.e., pregnant vs. nonpregnant) of multiple AI services in dairy cows. Sequencing of the V3-V4 region totally produced 512,046 high-quality sequences that were computationally clustered into 2,584 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). All OTUs were taxonomically assigned to 10 bacterial phyla. There were statistically significant differences among the three AI service times (T1, T2 and T3) with respect to the Shannon index and number of observed OTUs (p < 0.05). Bray-Curtis distance-based PCoA analysis also revealed that T2 group could be significantly distinguished from T1 and T3. However, no significant difference between the pregnant and nonpregnant cows was found in confidence regarding both alpha diversity and beta diversity. These results could help us better understand the possible influence of vaginal microbial community on pregnancy outcomes of AI service in cows.

A Procedure for Inducing the Occurrence of Rice Seedling Blast in Paddy Field

  • Qin, Peng;Hu, Xiaochun;Jiang, Nan;Bai, Zhenan;Liu, Tiangang;Fu, Chenjian;Song, Yongbang;Wang, Kai;Yang, Yuanzhu
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
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    • v.37 no.2
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    • pp.200-203
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    • 2021
  • Rice blast caused by the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is arguably the most devastating rice disease worldwide. Development of a high-throughput and reliable field blast resistance evaluation system is essential for resistant germplasm screening, resistance genes identification and resistant varieties breeding. However, the occurrence of rice blast in paddy field is easily affected by various factors, particularly lack of sufficient inoculum, which always leads to the non-uniform occurrence and reduced disease severity. Here, we described a procedure for adequately inducing the occurrence of rice seedling blast in paddy field, which involves pretreatment of diseased straw, initiation of seedling blast for the first batch of spreader population, inducing the occurrence of the second batch of spreader population and test materials. This procedure enables uniform and consistent infection, which facilitates efficient and accurate assessment of seedling blast resistance for diverse rice materials.

An Analysis on the Experience Intent and Differentiation Factors of environment-friendly Agriculture Innovation in Jeonnam Province (전남 친환경농업혁신 시범단지의 체험의향 및 차별성 요인 분석)

  • Song, Kyung-Hwan;Lee, Sang-Ho
    • Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.477-490
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    • 2020
  • In this paper, the factors influencing the differentiation of environment-friendly agricultural products from the intention of environment-friendly farming experience were analyzed through logit analysis. The main analysis results are summarized as follows. First, the contents to experience in environment-friendly agricultural innovation in Jeonnam province are environment-friendly agricultural product harvesting (33.8%), making food using environment-friendly agricultural products (24.1%) and environment-friendly ecological experience (20.1%). Second, significant variables affecting the intention to experience environment-friendly agriculture were analyzed as whether they were members of the consumer cooperative, whether they were children under the age of two, and whether they were children under the age of high school. In other words, it was analyzed that the more members of the consumer cooperative, the more families with children under the age of two, and the more families with student children, the more likely they are to participate in environment-friendly farming experiences. Third, significant variables that affect the recognition of the differentiation of environment-friendly agricultural products in Jeonnam province were found to be environment education and dual income. In other words, it is analyzed that consumers who receive environment education and dual-income families are more likely to recognize environment-friendly agricultural products in Jeonnam province differently than in other regions.

Perception on Functions of Rural Spaces and Agricultural Innovation -Through a Survey on Solar Panels and Automation Technology- (농업기술 발달과 농촌공간 기능에 관한 일반인의 인식 분석 - 태양광 패널과 자동화 기술에 대한 설문을 통해 -)

  • Lee, Jimin
    • Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.69-78
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    • 2023
  • Rural spaces are experiencing an increasing demand for novel functionalities and adaptations driven by technological advancements in agriculture and rural areas. This study aimed to investigate the public perception of rural spaces in the context of evolving agricultural technologies, specifically focusing on photovoltaic power generation, and the ensuing competition among various functions of rural spaces. A survey was conducted with a participant sample of 330, revealing that the majority of respondents prioritize agricultural production as the primary function of farmland. Furthermore, the survey results indicated that the installation of solar panels on farmland is perceived as a complex issue that affects multiple aspects, such as the landscape, local economy, ecological environment, climate change, and income. Additionally, disparities in responses to landscape-related questions were observed based on age, perception of agricultural land functions, and opinions on technological adoption. This finding suggests that the landscape is poised to become a significant factor in future agricultural and rural transformations. The findings of this survey can provide valuable contributions to the preparation of changes catalyzed by advancements in agricultural technology. Moreover, they offer guidance on the key factors that need to be taken into account when introducing new functions to rural spaces.

Efficiency of Analysis Agricultural R&D Program by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA를 이용한 농림 R&D 사업의 효율성 분석)

  • Jun-Hyun Kim;Bong-Soo Lee;Jae-Kyung Kim
    • Korea Trade Review
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    • v.45 no.1
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    • pp.47-64
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    • 2020
  • For the past few years, the Korean government has been consistently expanding its national research & development budget to accelerate economic growth through technology innovation and the enhancement of international competitiveness in global markets. The objective of this paper is to define the concept and analyze the current status of national R&D programs by measuring R&D efficiencies. We determine R&D efficiency by reflecting inputs and outcomes of the five main agricultural R&D programs between 2010 to 2015, and by categorizing and regrouping figures that may affect R&D performance. Among 1,128 targeted projects, 832 projects with patents and thesis were selected for analysis in terms of measuring technology efficiency, pure technology efficiency, and efficiency of scale. Also, the Kruskal-Wallis test was also utilized as well. As a result of empirical analysis, figures that affected the efficiency level of national R&D programs included differences in research resources, research management levels and skills, and research field. This study can be utilized as a reference for re-establishing national agricultural R&D policies, such as enhancement of national technology competitiveness in the global market environment, improving and adapting to new agricultural conditions, market expansion, national agricultural R&D efficiency, aging rural population, agricultural management cost increase, and climate change mitigation.

Perinatal Nutrition of the Calf and Its Consequences for Lifelong Productivity

  • Wynn, P.C.;Warriach, H.M.;Morgan, A.;McGill, D.M.;Hanif, S.;Sarwar, M.;Iqbal, A.;Sheehy, P.A.;Bush, R.D.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.22 no.5
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    • pp.756-764
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    • 2009
  • Provision of an optimal environment for the calf is critical to establishing the patterns of growth and development essential to allow the heifer to express its genetic potential for milk output and reproductive capacity during its productive life. Maternal nutrition during gestation is now recognised as a key to genetic programming in utero and this influence is extended through the complexity of hormones, growth factors and immunostimulants incorporated into colostrum and milk consumed by the neonatal calf. This natural process is most often disrupted as calves are weaned abruptly to maximise milk output for commercial exploitation. The key then is to accelerate the rate of maturation of the ruminal epithelium through the provision of concentrate starter rations and high quality forage, which promote VFA production. Management systems to promote these processes in Holstein Friesian cattle are well developed, however, little is known of these processes with buffalo and Bos indicus dairy cattle such as the Sahiwal. The development of methods to program the neonate to grow faster to puberty in these species will be important to improving their productivity for the dairy industries in tropical and sub-tropical environments in the future.

Growth Performance and Post-Weaning Diarrhea in Piglets Fed a Diet Supplemented with Probiotic Complexes

  • Lu, Xuhong;Zhang, Ming;Zhao, Liang;Ge, Keshan;Wang, Zongyi;Jun, Luo;Ren, Fazheng
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.28 no.11
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    • pp.1791-1799
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    • 2018
  • Weaning stress can affect the growth performance and intestinal health of piglets. Dietary alternatives to antibiotics, such as dietary probiotics, especially those containing multiple microbial species, are a preventive strategy for effectively controlling post-weaning diarrhea. In this study, we investigated forty-eight crossbred piglets in three treatment groups for 21 days: the control and experimental groups were supplemented with Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134, Bacillus subtilis AS1.836 plus Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 28338 (EBS) or Lactobacillus paracasei L9 CGMCC No. 9800 (EBL). On day 21, weaned piglets supplemented with two kinds of probiotic complexes showed increased growth performance and significantly reduced post-weaning diarrhea (p < 0.05). The EBS treatment increased acetic acid and propionic acid in the feces (p < 0.05), and the EBL treatment increased fecal acetic acid, propionic acid, butyrate and valerate (p < 0.05). Moreover, the fecal microbiota of the piglets changed markedly in EBL treatment. The addition of EBS and EBL may have similar effects on the prevention of diarrhea by improving the intestinal morphology and regulating the microbiota during the weaning period.

Extraction of dietary fibers from cassava pulp and cassava distiller's dried grains and assessment of their components using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to determine their further use as a functional feed in animal diets

  • Okrathok, Supattra;Thumanu, Kanjana;Pukkung, Chayanan;Molee, Wittawat;Khempaka, Sutisa
    • Animal Bioscience
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    • v.35 no.7
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    • pp.1048-1058
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    • 2022
  • Objective: The present study was to investigate the extraction conditions of dietary fiber from dried cassava pulp (DCP) and cassava distiller's dried grains (CDG) under different NaOH concentrations, and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was used to determine the dietary fiber components. Methods: The dried samples (DCP and CDG) were treated with various concentrations of NaOH at levels of 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% using a completely randomized design with 4 replications of each. After extraction, the residual DCP and CDG dietary fiber were dried in a hot air oven at 55℃ to 60℃. Finally, the oven dried extracted dietary fiber was powdered to a particle size of 1 mm. Both extracted dietary fibers were analyzed for their chemical composition and determined by FTIR. Results: The DCP and CDG treated with NaOH linearly or quadratically or cubically (p<0.05) increased the total dietary fiber (TDF) and insoluble fiber (IDF). The optimal conditions for extracting dietary fiber from DCP and CDG were under treatment with 6% and 4% NaOH, respectively, as these conditions yielded the highest TDF and IDF contents. These results were associated with the FTIR spectra integration for a semi-quantitative analysis, which obtained the highest cellulose content in dietary fiber extracted from DCP and CDG with 6% and 4% NaOH solution, respectively. The principal component analysis illustrated clear separation of spectral distribution in cassava pulp extracted dietary fiber (DFCP) and cassava distiller's dried grains extracted dietary fiber (DFCDG) when treated with 6% and 4% NaOH, respectively. Conclusion: The optimal conditions for the extraction of dietary fiber from DCP and CDG were treatment with 6% and 4% NaOH solution, respectively. In addition, FTIR spectroscopy proved itself to be a powerful tool for fiber identification.