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Examination and statistical evaluation of physico-chemical parameters of windrow composting
33-38Views:745The treatment and utilization of plant and animal waste and by-products from agriculture is very diverse. Traditional environmental management practices for waste management have been retained through soil conservation and the applied of recycle degradable organic substances in soil. The management of by-products from agriculture (animal husbandry) is important because a closed loop can be created to utilize by-products (manure, feathers) from the production of the main product (eggs, meat, milk) and to form a raw material for a new product. It is important to treat the resulting by-products, especially deep-litter manure, as it has served as a basis for compost-treated manure to develop an organic-based, soil-conditioning product line. Poultry manure by itself is not suitable as a substrate for aerobic decomposition, so it has to be mixed with other substances (zeolite, bentonite, soil), because of its high nutrient capacity, it is an acidifying substance.
The aim of this study was to compost the mixture of poultry manure and hen manure by the addition of zeolite and to monitor the composting process. It was also our aim to statistically determine the effect of the zeolite on parameters describing the composting process.
The windrow composting experiments were set up in the composting area of the University of Debrecen, Institute of Water and Environmental Management. The composting experiment was 62 days long, during which the main parameters describing the composting process were continuously monitored: temperature (°C), moisture content (w/w%), electrical conductivity (mS/cm), organic matter content (w/w%), examination of nitrogen forms (w/w%). In this study, three factors were investigated: temperature, humidity, and pH. For statistical evaluation, R software and RStudio user interface were used. We developed a repeated measurement model, in which the fixed and random effects were determined for our parameters under study, and the resulting relationships were shown on interaction plots.
Based on our results, the temperature of the prisms has become independent of the ambient temperature and the composting stages can be separated in both the control and the zeolite treated prisms. In the repeated measurement model, we proved that treatment, time and treatment: time interaction were significant at both temperature and pH.
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The effect of location on the incidence of brown rot blossom and shoot blight infection on apricot
89-91Views:2891The aim of our study was to assess the incidence of brown rot blossom and shoot blight and caused by Monilinia laxa. Assessments of incidence were made on cv. Bergeron (susceptible to brown rot) in a flatland and a hilly growing area (at Cegléd and Gönc, respectively). In 2004, when spring and summer weather conditions were wet and cold, incidence reached 95 % for blossom blight and 33 % for shoot blight in the untreated plots. Blossom blight incidence was 1.5-2 times higher in the flatland area compared to the hilly growing area. During the blooming period of apricot, two (at flower bud stage and at full bloom) and three (at flower bud stage, at full bloom and at petal fall) fungicide applications were necessary for the successful control at Gönc and Cegléd, respectively. The difference between the two orchards was due to the fact that blooming started one week later in the hilly region (at Gönc) than in the flatland region (at Cegléd), therefore, the critical weather period coincided with blooming in the orchard in the hilly region only partially.
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Selenium-speciation experiments from soil samples by accept of ionchromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) method
106-111Views:836In these days, selenium is one of the most investigated microelements. It has an important proven role in many vital processes. Selenium deficiency can play a role in the contraction of many diseases (e.g. cancer, heart diseases, etc.) and in the aggravation of their clinical aspect directly or indirectly. In this paper, we study the soil samples of an outdoor experiment for the conversion of the inorganic selenium salt that was spread out in different doses. The danger of the wash-out effect was also investigated. Our experiments showed, that most of the inorganic selenite transforms to selenate form during the years, and in this selenate form it moves to the deeper layers of soil.
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Comparative examination of a bacterium preparation (BACTOFIL® A10) and an artificial fertilizer [CA(NO3)2] on calcareous chernozem soil
75-80Views:423In a small-pot experiment a bacterium preparation, Bactofil® A10 and an artificial fertilizer containing Ca(NO3)2 in different dosages were studied on calcareous chernozem soil, concerning the readily available nutrient content of soil (nitrate-nitrogen, AL-phosphorus, ALpotassium content of soil, some soil microbial characteristics (total number of bacteria and fungi, cellulose-decomposing and nitrifying bacteria, CO2-production of soil), and the amount of the plant biomass.
The readily available nutrient content of the calcareous chernozem soil increased due to the treatments, except for the change in the soil nitrate-nitrogen content, which did not measure up to the control due to the effect of high-dosage Bactofil.
The treatments also influenced the examined microbial characteristics of the soil positively. The artificial treatments significantly increased the total number of bacteria and the number of cellulose-decomposing and nitrifying bacteria. The low-dosage Bactofil significantly increased the number of cellulose-decomposing bacteria and both Bactofil dosage significantly increased the number of nitrifying bacteria. The measure of the soil respiration grew in all treatments, but significantly only in Ca(NO3)2 fertiliser treatments.
The quantity of the plant biomass was grew in a low-dosage Bactofil and significantly in the artificial fertiliser treatments. The highest plant biomass quantity was measured in the high-dosage artificial fertiliser treatment.
In the correlation analyses we found some medium positive correlation between the soil chemical, microbiological parameters examined, and the plant biomass in the case of both treatment-forms.
Based on our results Ca(NO3)2 artificial fertiliser treatments on calcareous chernozem soil proved to be more stimulating regarding the
examined soil characteristics and the amount of the plant biomass, but the low-dosage Bactofil also positively influenced the majority of the
soil characteristics examined in terms of nutrient supply. -
Possible alternatives in crop nutrition
109-112Views:252The protection of the environment is our common task. All pollution that exposes our soils, plants or the environment – as taken in any proper or extended sense – will appear sooner or later in the food chain and in human beings who are on the top of the food-chain pyramid. The aim of our work is to give a brief overview of the effects of selected industrial wastes on the physiological parameters of corn plants. Sewage sludge and lime sludge were examined. These materials contain lots of useful element for plants (e.g. iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc). However, their aluminum, chrome and lithium contents are also considerable. The element contents in sewage sludge and the filtrates of lime sludge, as well as the dry matter accumulation and relative chlorophyll contents, were measured. The disadvantageous and advantageous physiological effects of the examined materials were confirmed. The compensation effect of the environment is excluded; however, the neutralization of environmental impacts is not infinite under natural circumstances.
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Agricultural aspects in river basin management plans
149-152Views:221In the European Region agriculture is the second largest water user after power industry cooling water use. As part of the implementation of Water Framework Directive EU Member States prepared their river basin management plans by the end of 2009 or first half of 2010, In these plans impacts of agriculture on water bodies have received attention. The detailed information elaborated in the plans by countries and river basin districts were uploaded into the WFD section of the WISE system. This database provides opportunity for multi-criteria analysis for different water types. The paper discusses the effects of agriculture on hydromorphological pressures and impacts affecting surface water bodies. It was pointed out that among the pressures affecting European surface water bodies the hydromorphological and diffuse pressures represent the highest ratios (Figure 1). Within the hydromorphological pressures affecting classified surface water bodies the ratio of pressures related to agricultural activities is low,
it does not exceed 1% at European level. In case of Hungary the agriculture related river management pressures effect about 80% of the surface water bodies, which is much higher than the corresponding European average. The agricultural water abstractions affect about 10% of the Hungarian surface water bodies (Figures 2 and 3). The river and lake water bodies are impacted in significant ratio by nutrient enrichments and organic material enrichments, while in case of river water bodies the impact of organic material enrichments is also significant (Figures 4 and 5). -
Effects of plant density on photosynthetic characteristics and yield of maize under irrigation condition
115-118Views:515Maize plant response to plant density is an essential agrotechnical factor used for determining grain yield. Three plant densities (60,000 ha-1, 72,500 ha-1, and 85,000 ha-1) were used in this study to ascertain the effect of photosynthetic parameters and grain yield. Results show a significant difference in the photosynthetic parameters (SPAD, NDVI, LAI) and plant height for plant density of 85,000 ha-1. Grain yield and stem diameter were not significantly affected between the different plant densities.
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Effect of feeding linseed on the fatty acid composition of milk
45-50Views:835In the last decades many researches were made to change the animal product food’s composition. The production of better fat-compound milk and dairy products became a goal in the name of health conscious nutrition. These researches were motivated by the non adequate milk fat’s fatty acid composition. There have been made researches in order to modify the milk’s fatty acids’ composition to reach the expectations of functional foods. With the optimal supplement of the feed can be increased the proportion of the polyunsaturated fatty acids and can decreased the saturated fatty acids. Row fat content of milk was not decreasing in the course of examination neither of the cold extruded linseed nor the whole linseed supplement as opposed to observations experienced by other authors. In case of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids when supplementing with cold extruded linseed the most significant change was observable in the concentration of the elaidic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, alfa-linolenic acid, conjugated linoleic acid. In case of saturated fatty acids the quantity of palmitic acid and myristic acid lowered considerably. When observating the feeding with whole linseed the concentration of many fatty acids from the milkfat of saturated fatty acids lowered (caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid). The quantity of some unsaturated fatty acids was showing a distinct rise after feeding with linseed, this way the oleic acid, alfa-linolenic acid, conjugated linoleic acid, eicosadienoic acid. The aim of the study was to produce food which meets the changed demands of customers as well. The producing of milk with favourable fatty acid content from human health point of view can give scope propagate the products of animal origin. -
Effect of agrotechnological treatment on nutritive value of common millet
65-69Views:459The cultivation of common millet shows an increasing tendency due to its adaptability to extreme poor circumstances. In addition, millet do not contain gluten forming proteins such as gliadin and glutenin, therefore people with gluten intolerance could consume it. The vitamin B and mineral content increase the importance of millet. The aim of our experiment was to measure the quality of flour of two millet varieties treated with different nitrogen fertilizer doses.
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The effect of crop year on fruit weight and internal quality characteristics of selected plum cultivars in the Újfehértó Fruit Gene Bank
77-85Views:79The competitiveness of the plum sector in Hungary has gradually declined over the past decade, and the area under cultivation has been steadily decreasing. In contrast, plum production has increased at the European Union level. The main causes of the domestic decline include the disappearance of plantations, severe frost damage following mild winters, and extremely dry weather conditions. Plums from the Balkans are gradually displacing Hungarian plums from the European market. In recent years, climate change, labour shortages, and increasing input costs have posed significant challenges to the sector. Therefore, research related to plum cultivation is essential to improve the market position of the plum industry.
In this study, we examined plum cultivars from the gene bank collection of the Research Institute of the University of Debrecen, AKIT Újfehértó, as follows:
- Evaluation of the quality characteristics and fruit traits of the selected plum cultivars,
- Investigation of the effects of different years on the quality characteristics of the selected cultivars,
- Determination of correlations among the quality traits of the plum cultivars.
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Investigation of the impacts of the by-product of sewage treatment on some characteristics of maize in the early growth stage
77-82Views:300The use of sewage sludge on arable land has been widespread for many years. This by-product, treated as waste, can provide valuable nutrients to the soil, but the applied amount of sewage sludge to arable land is limited. The possibility of application of sewage sludge is essentially determined by the composition of the sludge. The goal of the experiment was to demonstrate that the physiological, morphological, and biochemical parameters of maize (Zea mays L. cv. Armagnac) linearly change with increasing concentrations of sewage sludge (25%, 50%, and 75% as m/m%). The experiment was set up in a glasshouse. The following parameters were investigated: plant height, relative chlorophyll content, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, carotenoids), and leaf proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and PS II quantum efficiency in the 3-leaf stages of the plants. Sewage sludge applied in lower doses had a beneficial effect on the initial growth of maize. The relative chlorophyll content was significantly higher in all treatments compared to the control. There was no significant difference in the maximum quantum efficiency of PS II reaction centers among the treatments. In this experiment, different concentrations of sewage sludge treatments had different impacts on the MDA and proline content of maize leaves. The proline content was significantly higher in all treatments, while the MDA content did not change significantly compared to the control.
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Evaluation of egg quality parameters of two Hungarian ostrich populations
51-57Views:571The aim of our study was to evaluate the quality parameters, porosity and weight loss of eggs deriving from the two most significant ostrich farms in Hungary. Quality parameters included weight, length, width, shape index, egg volume, surface area, circumference and shell volume. The effect of storage conditions in both farms and the incubation technology on egg weight loss in farm “A” were also examined. The research objective was to impart a comprehensive knowledge on egg quality parameters of the main ostrich populations in Hungary and to compare the trios and the farms with each other and the international literature. We could reveal significant differences between trios in all egg quality traits. In conclusion, the shorter and the narrower the eggs were, the more spherical shape they had. Narrower eggs showed smaller surface area, volume, circumference and shell volume and vice versa. Eggs from farm “B” indicated significantly greater width, shape index, surface area, circumference and shell volume than farm “A”. A significant difference was observed in weight loss during storage between the farms. Weight loss in farm “A” was a multiple of farm “B”. In farm “B” there was a weak, positive correlation between storage period and weight loss (r=0.22, P≤0.05), in farm “A” it was not significant (P=0.52). There was no relationship between the initial egg weight and weight loss either in farm “A” or farm “B” (P=0,21, P=0,69). A slight positive correlation could be noted between egg porosity and weight loss (r=0.24, P≤0.05). Pores count presented here was less than the international results. Poultry eggs contain the most pores at the blunt end, less via the equator and the least at the pointed end. In ostrich egg we found more pores via the equator against the blunt end. To draw more precise conclusions, further investigation should be carried out on porosity. Considering the fact that the length of storage period and the weight loss during incubation are in strict correlation with hatchability, we intend to extend our research aims to these traits.
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Application of laparoscopic artificial insemination in conventional Lacaune sheep farm using frozen-thawed semen
133-138Views:648The complex anatomical structure of the ewe reproductive tract accompanied with low quality of frozen ram semen for artificial insemination, resulted in a challenge with regard to using superior genotypes for reproductive ovine performance. Hence, improved genetics in ovine management has not been efficiently and widely used especially in undeveloped countries. Therefore, intrauterine semen deposition by laparoscopic insemination should be adopted in the current sheep production systems. Thus, this study aimed to assess the pregnancy rate and lambing rate of ewe inseminated by laparoscopic insemination techniques using frozen-thawed semen. The research used imported frozen semen from two rams of the Lacaune breed. Ewes were grouped according to age in years (1, 2 and 4). Before insemination, the semen was examined microscopically for its motility and viability and thereafter the laparoscopic artificial insemination technique was performed to 19 Lacaune breed ewes using frozen-thawed semen. The overall pregnancy and prolificacy rates were 31.57% and 42.10% respectively. Out of 2 ewes in the 1-year age group that were inseminated, only 1 ewe lambed representing 50%. However, from 16 ewes inseminated of four-year age group, 5 ewes lambed representing 31.25%. Significant difference based on age group was not evaluated due disproportionate of the data, (such that the data included 2 ewes in one-year-old age, 1 ewe in 2-year-old age and 16 ewes in 4-year-old age). Based on the ram semen, 33.33% and 30% of the inseminated ewes were pregnant from ram A and ram B semen respectively. However, in the case of prolificacy rate, 44.44% and 40 % of the ewes lambed from using semen of ram A and B, respectively. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in pregnancy and prolificacy rates based on semen from the two rams. In conclusion, in this research study, ram semen had no significant effect on pregnancy and prolificacy rates using laparoscopic AI on Lacaune sheep. This could be due to the fact that the rams had very good quality semen. Evaluation of ram semen, accompanied with appropriate ewe selection based on age and rightful deposition of semen could lead to better and more consistent results. Overall this could contribute to the successful application of laparoscopic artificial insemination in Lacaune sheep production systems for enhanced productivity.
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The Effect of EU Accession on the Hungarian Tobacco Sector. The Evaluation of the Regulations
368-377Views:195Tobacco growing can be regarded as a special small sector of Hungarian agriculture. However, studying it from a different point of view, we can see that it is an outstanding sector among others in agriculture. Not only is its budget importance that makes it significant (its total budgetary income is more than 200 billion HUF), and on the other hand it also plays an important role in employment and income output.
Nevertheless questions of regulation arise, and especially those of its justification, methods and scope. Moreover, EU accession forces Hungary to redraw its regulatory statutes for legal harmonization. Below is a discussion of the impacts of this process, as well as of the domestic tobacco market itself. -
The effect of silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch) on the yields and the production value of common carp (Cyprius carpio) fingerlings
5-10Views:493During the last few years, the spread of the silver crucian carp has caused significant problems in pond fish culture. One of the main challenges of successful fish production in fishponds, is to rid ponds of the silver crucian carp. The nature of the damage caused by silver crucian carp is a complex question. To get into the ponds, the crucian carps occupy the territory before the common carp, and competes for food with common carp. The silver crucian carp has a less favorable food coefficient than the common carp, and it’s value is also lower. Therefore, the income of the fish farm decreases. In the course of the experiment, carp fry were stocked in 5 nursing ponds at the same stocking rate, with different (0,- 50-, 100-, 150-, 200%) stocking rates of silver crucian carp fry, respectively. At the end of the experiment, the yield/hectar and the production values were calculated. The experiment proved that the presence of the silver crucian carp in the fishponds causes lower yields and production values.
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The examination of human resources in the Hódmezővásárhely micro-region on the basis of human resource hierarchy
91-110Views:219In this paper, I deal with the examination of the situation and change of human resources through the human resource hierarchy. My research covers the Hódmezővásárhely micro-region, which includes four settlements, two towns (Hódmezővásárhely as the centre of the area and Mindszent) and two villages (Mártély and Székkutas). Based on population density the micro-region is qualified as a rural territory, which is underpinned by the micro-region’s market town and homestead like character.
I took the human resource system of Cloke and Park (1985) published in their book of Rural Resource Management as a basis of my examination and I pursued my research in consideration of Fehér’s (2005) researches related to rural economy. The system of human resources provided a hierarchical and logical framework for my examination. In the course of the research I made analyses along the three levels of human resources concerning the micro-region and its settlements.
During the examination of the human resources of the Hódmezővásárhely micro-region I pointed out some negative changes and situations which unfavourably influence the socio-economic processes of the territory and its settlements. All this reveal that the human resources are not only factors of the economy of the micro-region as a rural economy but at the same time they are areas to be developed. The living standard (welfare) of the people living in the area and their quality of life (well-being) depend on the development and level of the different dimensions of the human resources largely. For that very reason there is a need for coordinated development of the human resources and the related fields with respect to the cause-effect relations.
My research contributes to the better cognition of rural resources of the Hódmezővásárhely micro-region, without this a rational improvement and sustainable development of the micro-region and its settlements based on inner resources cannot be imagined. -
Effect of using antioxidants as feed additives in the diet of dairy cows on the vitamin E and lycopene content of milk
69-72Views:451In 2007, the aim of an Ányos Jedlik program and call for tenders was to support application-oriented, strategic research and development projects, which can increase the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy. In the framework of our project, we intended to examine whether non-protected antioxidants – in this case: vitamin E and lycopene – used as feed-additives can increase the antioxidant content of milk. The milk with an
increased level of vitamin E and lycopene content can be used for producing functional foods which will represent competitive products on the current market of milk products. Our results show that the use of vitamin E as feed-additive can significantly increase the amount of vitamin E in the milk. The use of lycopene as feedadditive also gave good results. At the beginning of the experiment, the lycopene content of the milk was below the detection limit, while in the post-feeding milk samples the lycopene became detectable. Based on our results, we are of the opinion that further experiments and analyses are needed regarding the quality of food of animal origin and animal health. -
Effect of two different cropyear and the agrotechnological factors on the agronomic characteristic of the winter weat in a lon-term experiment
143-149Views:468We studied the effects of crop rotation, fertilization and crop protection technologies on occurence of the major ear- and leaf-diseases (powdery mildew, helminthosporiosis, leaf rust, Fusarium wilt) and the degree of lodging in the winter wheat variety Mv Pálma in two very different years (2006/2007=dry; 2009/2010=rainy). The experiments were carried out at the Látókép Experimental Farm of the University of Debrecen CAAES in triculture (pea-wheat-maize) and biculture (wheat-maize) at five fertilization levels by applying three different crop protection technologies (extensive, average, intensive).
In the cropyear of 2006/2007, the disease severity of leaf diseases was higher than the average in both crop rotations in spite of the fact that the weather during the whole vegetation period was dry. Infection by powdery mildew, helminthosporiosis and leaf rust increased with increasing fertilization, the highest infection was measured at the highest fertilization level (N200+PK) in the extensive crop protection technology. According to the results, no infection of ears by Fusarium and no lodging occurred in either bi- or triculture due to the dry year. The extremely rainy weather in 2009/2010 was favourable not only for the vegetative development of the stand, but also increased the occurance of leaf-, stalk- and ear-diseases and a high degree of lodging was observed. The highest infection by powdery mildew was observed in the plots with the highest fertilizer dosage under an extensive crop protection technology. A much higher helminthosporiosis infection was measured than in the cropyear of 2006/2007. The wet weather and higher than average temperature promoted the occurence and spreading of leaf rust. Under an extensive crop protection technology, a leaf rust infection of 24% and 31% was detected after maize and pea as a forecrop, respectively, in the N200+PK treatment. As opposed to 2006/2007, the disease severity of Fusarium was 3–8% and 2–7% in the control after maize and pea as a forecrop, respectively. This value, similarly to that of other pathogens, increased with increasing fertilization levels. Due to the large vegetative mass, a significant lodging was observed in the wheat stands in both bi- and triculture (17–100%, 12–100%). -
Evaluation of Hungarian show-jumping results using different measurement variables
81-85Views:518The aim of the study was to compare different fitted models for show-jumping results of sporthorses and to estimate heritability and repeatability value. Show-jumping competition results collected between 1996 and 2011 were analyzed. The database contained 358 342 starts of 10 199 horses. Identity number, name and gender of the horse, rider, competition year, the level and location of the competition and placing were recorded in the database. To measure performance of horses, placing, number of starters and competition level were used. Competitions were categorized into five groups based on their difficulty level. The used repeatability animal model included fixed effects for age, gender, competition place, year of competition (and competition level in case of non-weighted measurement variables), and random effects for rider, animal and permanent environment effect. Variance components were estimated with VCE-6 software package. The goodness-of-fit of the models was low and moderate. Heritability and repeatability values were low for each measurement variables. The best goodness-of-fit model the weighted square root of placing resulted the highest heritability and repeatability value h2=0.074 and R=0.296.
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The applicability of 10 ml cryotubes for sperm cryopreservation in a Hungarian carp landrace (Cyprinus carpio carpio morpha accuminatus)
93-97Views:426In our study, the comparison of 5 ml straw and 10 ml cryotube during sperm cryopreservation in a Hungarian carp landrace (Cyprinus carpio carpio morpha accuminatus) was carried out. Three different dilution ratios (1:1, 1:4 and 1:9) were also tested using the cryotube. A significantly higher pMOT was recorded using the cryotube in comparison with the straw. VCL and STR were similar in both groups. Cryopreservation had a negative effect on pMOT and VCl using the cryotube and also the straw where, STR was not reduced significantly. An increasing tendency was observed using higher dilution of sperm during cryopreservation; however, significant difference was not recorded between the three groups. VCL and STR were similar in all groups. Cryotube was applicable for the sperm cryopreservation of the Hungarian carp landrace. However, the standardization for the freezing method specified for this volume is recommended. The different dilution ratios needed be tested also during fertilization.
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Assessment of backfat thickness and its relationship with reproductive performance of sows – preliminary findings
25-30Views:657Backfat thickness (BFT) is an important trait that influences reproductive performance in sows. This study investigated the relationship between sow BFT at farrowing and the number of live born (LB), stillborn (SB), and Mummies (Ms) in different parities (P) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8). Backfat thickness was measured at point P2 (BFT at the last rib, at the junction of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae 3–5 cm from the midline of the spine (mm). In total, 216 sows were measured on day 109 of gestation (when they entered farrowing). Descriptive statistics showed that the mean BFT was 14.55 mm SEM 0.171 SD 2.576. Parity had a significant effect on BFT, with a Kruskal-Wallis chi-squared value of 22.728 (df = 7, p = 0.002). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons using Dunn's test in R revealed that P1 exhibited a significantly higher BFT than P3 (p = 0.001) and P4 (p = 0.025). Spearman’s correlation coefficient indicated a very weak negative relationship between BFT and LB, whereas there was a strong relationship between BFT and SB and Ms. However, the correlations were not significant p>0.05. This finding suggests that assessing the BFT before farrowing is a helpful tool for guiding sow management and pig production. Additionally, these findings offer data that can be used to inform culling policies.
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The effect of season on the microbiological status of raw milk
95-99Views:631Many factors can influence the microbiological quality of raw cow’s milk. In this study, our aim was to determine whether there was any difference between the microbiological statuses of milk produced in different seasons. Samples were collected and analysed from five dairy farms in Hajdú-Bihar County, from February to November in 2019. During our studies, total plate count (TPC), coliform count and Staphylococcus aureus count of raw cow’s milk samples were determined.
There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the mean TPC values detected in the milk collected in winter and autumn, but that values were significantly (P<0.05) lower than in the milk samples collected in spring and summer. Similarly to the TPC, in the case of coliform bacteria the lowest mean colony count was detected in the samples collected in winter. The difference was significant (P<0.05), compared to the values observed in the samples collected in summer. S. aureus was detected in bulk milk of only two farms in excess of 1.0 log10 cfu/ml. Also in case of S. aureus, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) between the values observed in the samples collected in winter and in summer. Samples from spring and summer contained the highest amount of S. aureus.
Based on the results of our studies, in the case of almost all farms the mean TPC, coliform and S. aureus counts were lower in the samples collected in winter, than in the samples collected in summer. The fact that the samples collected in winter contained the lowest amount of colonies could be attributed to the inhibition of growth of mesophilic microorganisms below 8 °C. Furthermore, the fact that we observed the highest colony counts in samples collected in summer, can be related to the heat stress of cows during the summer due to unfavorable weather conditions (high temperature and humidity).
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Environmental Consequences of Efficient Use of Nitrogen Fertilizers
41-46Views:246Nitrogen fertilizer represents major economic burden. For this reason, although the efficiency of nitrogen utilization varies highly, its actual use generally remains at low levels; these averaging between 25 and 50%. We set up an experiment at the Oradea Research Station, using 15N labeled fertilizers, in order to investigate the possibility of increasing N fertilizer efficiency in winter wheat under irrigation conditions.
Fertilizers labeled with 15N allows us to individually determine its effect on yield formation, as well as the use efficiency of N from fertilizer following application rate and time. The amount of N derived from fertilizer as determined in straw and grain yield is high. When the labeled fertilizer is applied at tillering time, the values of this indicator rise when higher N levels we applied.
In separate experiments, we investigated a series of aspects connected to chemical fertilizer regarding the determination of the type of fertilizer, optimum time and rates of application; all these as a function of the special pedoclimatic conditions.
The results obtained in the field show that the effectiveness of N utilization in wheat is most variable and generally low, often ranging between 25 and 33%, owing to N loss within the system through leaching and NH3 volatilization.
A readily achievable increase in efficiency of 5 percentage points would result in considerable savings, and can be brought about by reducing nitrogen losses. The added benefits to the environment in terms of reduced ground/water contamination and lowered nitrous oxide (N20) emissions would also be substantial.
The figures for N fertilizer use efficiency (% N range from 35.5 to 72.6, the highest value being recorded with an N application of 120 kg/ha at tillering, when the previous crop was sunflower).
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The Effect of Changes in Forest Area on the Transcarpathian Tisza River Basin
181-185Views:216Forests are unique global factors which ensure life for almost every living being on Earth. They play a major role in controlling water flows, preventing erosion and controlling the oxygen content of Earth’s atmosphere. By the end of the XXth century, it was realized that forests help to nature maintain and are vital parts of our natural environment. By the time societies realized this fact, economic and environmental effects had amplified which endanger forests. Due to their good water control and water protection abilities, and their function in climate control, mountain forests can provide a suitable environment for themselves, for their successful growth.
Forests play a major role in soil protection, especially in mountain areas where they prevent soil erosion. By converting surface waters into subsurface waters, forests help with the accumulation of subsurface waters, which are the sources of springs, rivers and streams. In the summer, they protect the soil from drying out by creating a special microclimate. They positively affect the climate of surrounding territories. -
Comparison of Variability among Irradiated and Control Inbred Maize Lines via Morphological Descriptions and Some Quantitative Features
70-73Views:302Knowledge of genetic diversity in breeding material is fundamental for hybrid selection programs and for germplasm preservation as well. Research has been done with nine irradiated (fast neutron) and four non-treated inbred lines. The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the degree of genetic variability detected with morphological description (based on CPVO TP/2/2) in these materials, (2) to compare the genetic changes among irradiated and non-irradiated maize inbred lines (based on some quantitative features). The irradiation did not change any of the characteristics clearly in positive or negative way, which can be related to the fact that the effect of induced mutation on genetic structure cannot be controlled. From the irradiated lines we have managed to select plants with earlier ripening times and better phenotypes. We could distinguish 3 main groups by the morphological features; these results match our expectations based on pedigree data. Markers distinguishable on the phenotypic level (e.g. antocyanin colouration, length of tassels) were significant in all lines.