In this paper, which is the third of a series dealing with the nutritive properties of the lucerne crop, an account is given of the results of an investigation into the composition, digestibility and nutritive value of lucerne hay, lucerne meal and lucerne leaf meal.

Three samples of lucerne hay were dealt with, the first two having been made by baling direct from the field and the third by the usual procedure of filling into the stack. It is shown that by baling from the field, it is possible to conserve forage at a higher moisture content than would be considered safe when filling the material into a stack. In such circumstances, however, too tight a compression of the bales should be avoided, since if the process of partial drying-out during storage be retarded by over-compression, there is danger of extensive mould development and spoiling. It is advisable that the bales should be stored under good cover and in such a manner as to permit of free circulation of air between them. The hay from the bales was of much poorer quality than that made in the stack.

The interactions of breed, season and environmental temperature influencing reproductive activity in Indian sheep breeds have been studied so far in some detail only with respect to the physical characteristics of the semen (Sahni & Roy, 1969; Mittal & Ghosh, 1979). The literature on the influence of these factors in determining the concentration of some of the important chemical constituents of ram semen is scanty, except for two recent reports by Nivsarkar, Dwarkanath & Pant (1977, 1978) in which data on fructose and citric acid concentration in electro-ejaculated semen of Magra rams, obtained during the winter and spring, have been presented. A need was felt for understanding the pattern of concentration of these constituents throughout the year in semen collected from rams under natural conditions. The present investigation was, therefore, undertaken to study the seasonal pattern of concentration of two important chemical constituents (fructose and citric acid) and physical (ejaculate volume and sperm concentration) characteristics of the naturally ejaculated semen of two important Indian desert sheep breeds, the Marwari and the Magra. A similar, though short-term, study on the semen of an exotic breed, the Corriedale, was also undertaken.

Cactus pear is an important species for animal feeding in the regions of dry climate. There is no information on the fertilization with coated urea in the cultivation of cactus pear under rainfed conditions in the savannah region. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the forage potential of Nopalea cochenillifera variety Doce in yellow latosol under rainfed conditions in the Brazilian savannah, comparing the fertilization with urea and coated urea in different levels. A randomized block design was adopted, in a 2 × 4 × 2 factorial scheme, with the factors corresponding to two sources of nitrogen (urea and urea coated with polymers, N+), four levels of nitrogen (0, 60, 120 and 240 kg/ha/year) and two harvests (year I and year II). The plants were evaluated after 1 year of growth, in each year of evaluation, regarding the characteristics of growth, production, chemical and mineral composition and nutritional value. The level of 240 kg/ha provided higher emission of cladodes per plant (17.33 and 18.17), respectively, for N+ and urea. The highest nitrogen use efficiency was found in the level of 60 kg N/ha (142 kg/ha/year). NFC values were 3.5 g/kg dry matter (DM) higher when the cactus pear was fertilized with urea in year I and 5.4 g/kg DM in year II. The use of conventional urea promoted better results of agronomic and nutritional characteristics of the cactus pear, under rainfed regime, when compared to the use of urea coated with polymers.

In four experiments in different years, plants of four winter-heading cauliflower varieties with mean numbers of leaves and leaf initials varying from 9·5 to 16·5 were stored for periods of 14–24 days at different temperatures from 0 to 5 °C. Cold treatment tended to delay the time from sowing to 50% maturity but did not reduce the spread in the time of maturity of individual plants within a population. The reasons for this are discussed.

Root interactions between populations of Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata, Holcus lanatus and Anthoxanthum odoratum collected from fertilized and unfertilized plots of the Park Grass Experiment were investigated at two levels of NPK over a period of 3 years.

The root competitive abilities of species were dependent on fertilizer applications and changed with time. For example, L. perenne was more competitive at high nutrient application and during the early stages of the experiment. On the other hand, the root competitive ability of H. lanatus was greatest on unfertilized soil and increased with time. The large effect of root interaction on plant yield and the effects of fertilizer application on this, may be regarded as evidence of competition for one or more of the elements, N, P and K. H. lanatus, the most aggressive species, was more competitive on the unfertilized soil (NIL) than on the fertilized soil (NPK). However, this could not be confirmed by chemical analysis of plant material; there was no conclusive evidence that aggressive species contained higher concentrations of these nutrients when grown in mixtures with less aggressive species. The possibility of allelopathy, the production of toxins by one plant which inhibit the growth of another, cannot be precluded.

The root competitive ability of species and populations was not positively correlated with the yield of species and populations in pure stand. Indeed, negative correlation was found especially on unfertilized soil. In this case varieties or species with a low yield in pure stand were highly successful root competitors in mixtures, while those with high yield in pure culture were poor root competitors.

An investigation was undertaken to determine whether commercial milk replacers provide fermentable substrates for the yeast Torulopsis glabrata and thus produce ethanol in the stomachs of new born lambs and calves. Samples of stomach contents from calves in two small rearing units and a small number of farm bred calves, all being fed commercial milk replacers, were also examined. Ethanol was produced from certain replacers in all cases, and its association with Torulopsis glabrata was confirmed.

The existence of a toxic substance in heated soils, and the coexistence of two changes of an opposite character when such soils are kept—the one resulting in the oxidation and destruction of the toxin, the other in an increase of the soluble organic matter present—seem to offer an explanation of certain anomalies which have been observed in the growth of plants in these soils, to which allusion has already been made; provided, always, that this toxic substance is toxic towards plant-growth in the same way as it has been found to be toxic towards seed-germination.

Sheep were grazed for 2 years at stocking rates of 7, 14, 21 and 28/ha on a pasture comprising Lotononis bainesii and Digitaria decumbens cv. Pangola at Mt Cotton, south–east Queensland. There were six replicates of each treatment grazed in rotation with 3 days' grazing followed by 15 days' rest.

The initial dominance of lotononis was lost after 6 months of grazing and lotononis failed to persist satisfactorily at any stocking rate. Demographic studies showed that lotononis behaved as a short-lived plant, predominantly annual, with some vegetative perennation as stolon-rooted units under heavy grazing. Soil seed reserves varied from 5800 to 400 m2 at the lightest and heaviest stocking rates respectively. Lotononis failed to regenerate under Pangola shading or inopportune high grazing pressure. Soil bulk density (0–7 cm) increased from 1·2 to 1·4 g/cm3 according to stocking rate.

It is frequently necessary, especially in dealing with plant and animal extracts, to concentrate large volumes of liquid in vacuo. In such cases, the operation is often a very tedious one, owing to the necessity of closely watching the apparatus so as to control frothing and avoid the passing over of the liquid into the distillate. Having experienced this, more particularly in the distillation of alcoholic plant extracts, which show a great tendency to froth, the simple apparatus shown in the sketch has been devised which completely overcomes all the difficulties encountered in such work.

Eight experiments investigated how different sowing and harvest dates, plant populations and fertilizers affect yield, germination and size of seed from hybrid monogerm sugar-beet seed crops, grown in situ when raised under barley cover in Lincolnshire, or open sown in Oxfordshire. Weather at seed harvest was wetter than average in 1968, average in 1969, and drier in 1970. Most seed of good quality came from plant populations of 300000 plants/ha sown in early July, given ample P and K fertilizer in the seed bed and 150–200 kg/ha of N in the spring of the second year in Oxfordshire or 200–250 kg/ha N in Lincolnshire. Harvesting in early September on average yielded most seed. Methods used to grow multigerm seed proved suitable also for monogerm seed but the percentage germination was lower for monogerm than multigerm seed.

Three husbandry systems were used to promote differential live-weight gains in 603 Cyprus Fat-tailed, Chios and Awassi ewes. Ewes on the high level of feeding had heavier litters than those on the medium and low levels. Litter size was not affected by level of feeding during pregnancy. Milk production was highest (P < 0·01) for ewes on the high level. The milk production of Chios and Awassi ewes was similar on the high and low feeding levels, but Awassi ewes outyielded both other breeds on the medium level. Chios ewes had larger and heavier litters (P < 0·01) than both other breeds. The correlations between live weights during lactation and milk yield were low and negative indicating a tendency for body loss at high yields.

In an attempt to estimate starch in the grain of wheat grown under varying manurial conditions the writer has obtained results which it seems desirable to put on record for the information of others who may be using or propose fco use the Taka-diastase method.

Before devoting attention to wheat, experiments were made with pure potato starch under the conditions advocated by Davis and Daish. At first, owing to the use of insufficient enzyme, the results were low but immediately 0·1 gm. was taken the results were satisfactory (Table I).

Between 1941 and 1946 some twenty-five field experiments were carried out at various centres in England to assess the factors which determine the yield level and seed composition of linseed (oil flax). The experiments were of multifactorial design, and the main variables studied were varietal differences, levels of mineral nutrient supply and plant population. Additions of nitrogen (35 lb./acre) over all experiments raised the yield of seed by 10%, whereas additional phosphorus (50 lb. P2O5/acre) or potassium (80 lb. K2O/acre) had small and inconsistent effects. A significant interaction between nitrogen and variety was recorded in one trial, but in twelve out of fourteen experiments the varieties reacted uniformly to a combined application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, while in the remaining two experiments the interactions were contradictory.

The heavy yields of sugar beet tops which remain on the land after the removal of the sugar beet crop may be utilised in two ways. They may either be ploughed into the land as manure, or they may be fed to stock. Where large areas of sugar beet are grown, and where in consequence it may not be possible to secure consumption of the whole of the tops before decomposition of the material sets in, a combination of these two methods of utilisation may be resorted to. In other words, the feeding of the tops may be continued so long as they remain wholesome, after which the remainder may be ploughed into the land.

In view of the present importance of the sugar beet crop in English agriculture, and the urgent necessity of making the fullest possible use of all the various by-products arising in connection with this crop both in the field and in the factory, it is of importance that data should be available relating to the value of sugar beet tops both as a feeding stuff and as a manure. The purpose of the present communication is to detail the results of investigations which have been carried out with a view to securing such information.

1. In pot culture experiments with barley and mustard conducted in several soils over a number of years, the yield differences between calcium cyanamide and ammonium sulphate were generally small. Calcium cyanamide gave slightly poorer results than ammonium sulphate in soils with high responses to added nitrogen but definitely better ones in soils which contained much available nitrogen and in which calcium cyanamide greatly retarded nitrification.

2. The pot culture experiments confirmed the conclusion from earlier laboratory work that in normal soils calcium cyanamide was converted through urea into ammonia within a few days. Nitrate accumulation was less complete and slower from calcium cyanamide than from ammonium sulphate. In one soil the nitrogen from calcium cyanamide remained as ammonia for several weeks, the nitrate content being below that even of unmanured soil.

1. The results of a survey of the methods of milk production on a random sample of farms in four counties of England and Wales were used in conjunction with bacteriological and keeping quality tests of the milk produced, to estimate the influence on milk quality of factors in equipment and technique.

2. Of the many factors in technique investigated, only the sterilization of utensils and the cooling of the milk appeared to affect milk quality. The effects of these two factors differed in some degree with the four tests used.

3. Milk samples from machine-milked herds had significantly greater thermoduric colony counts than samples from hand-milked herds. No other factor of equipment showed appreciable association with milk-quality tests.

4. Brief recommendations are made about the conduct of any future field survey of factors affecting bacteriological and keeping quality of milk.

The response of spring field beans (Vicia faba) (cv. Victor) to irrigation applied before, during and after flowering and in combinations was studied on sandy soils, overlying sand, in Nottinghamshire, England in three years, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Irrigation was only needed pre-flowering in 1995, thus the opportunity to evaluate the effect at this timing was limited. Seasonal rainfall was higher than the long-term 30-year mean in 1993, but lower in 1994 and much lower in 1995.

Irrigation increased spring field bean yield in all three years, even in 1993 when a period of drought post-flowering caused a yield depression of 2 t/ha on unirrigated plots. The yield response for fully irrigated, compared with unirrigated field beans per 25 mm water was 0·34, 0·28 and 0·36 t/ha in 1993, 1994 and 1995 respectively. Irrigation applied during or post-flowering gave statistically significant yield increases and there were indications of greater efficiency of water use from post-flowering applications.

Very experienced livestock judges and three ultrasonic machines were compared for accuracy in predicting carcass composition.

Sixty-four steers of mixed breed were visually scored for fatness and meat yield by seven judges. Subcutaneous fat depths over the eye muscle at the 13th rib were measured with three different ultrasonic devices prior to slaughter. There was little difference between the ultrasonic machines and the best visual estimates of fatness for predicting weight of commercial trimmed or total dissected fat. Visual estimates of meat yield were not as accurate as the judges' fat scores for predicting carcass composition.

Subcutaneous fat depths measured by ultrasonics were shown to be as well related to carcass composition as the best judge's fat scores.