Safflower (\u3ci\u3eCarthamus tintorius\u3c/i\u3e): A Promising Forage Crop for Semi-Arid Regions

The yield, quality, preservation and intake of safflower hay were determined in two successive years - 1998 and 1999. Field experiments carried out at the Bet Dagan experimental station on the coastal plain of Israel under rain-fed conditions. A spineless variety was tested under three sowing dates. Yield decreased and quality improved as the sowing date receded from November 12 to February 3. Respective yields, IVDMD and CP content were: 22 and 8 ton DM/ha, 48.9% and 65.5% , 10.0% and 14.6%. Safflower at 290, 410 and 770 g/kg DM was ensiled in 1.5-l anaerobic glass jars with or without Lactobacillus plantarum applied at 106 cfu/g. Good-quality silages were obtained at 290 and 410 g/kg DM. The pH of the inoculated silages was 3.9-4.0 as compared to 4.7 in the control silages; the former contained more lactic acid than the controls. All silages were stable upon aerobic exposure. Inoculation with Lactobacillus plantarum improved the ensiling fermentation, and these silages, too, were stable upon aerobic exposure. Feeding experiments with heifers were conducted with safflower hay. The intake and performance of heifers fed with 25 or 50% safflower hay (DM basis) did not differ from those animals fed a control diet (no safflower in diet)

Effects of frequent machine milking and suckling in early lactation on blood plasma ion homoeostasis in high-yielding dairy cows

SUMMARY Groups of nine or ten cows were assigned, after calving, to treatments in which they were (i) machine milked three times daily (M3), (ii) machine milked six times daily (M6) or (iii) suckled three times daily in addition to being machine milked three times daily (S). Treatments were administered during the first 6 weeks postpartum. On one day, at weeks 1 and 6 postpartum, blood samples were collected from all cows at 30-min intervals between 06.00 and 13.00 h and these were analysed for plasma osmolality and plasma concentrations of Na + , K + and Cl − . Milk yield was significantly higher in suckled cows than in cows milked six times daily, but significantly lower in cows milked three times daily. In cows milked six times daily, and to a greater extent in suckled cows, there was a reduction in plasma osmolality and monovalent ion concentrations (Na + , K + and Cl − ), which could increase the susceptibility of the cows to water intoxication. Moreover, suckling or milking the cows six times daily was associated with increased fluctuations in plasma osmolality and plasma Cl − concentrations. The decrease in plasma osmolality and ion concentration and the increased variation in plasma osmolality and Cl − were probably related to increased water intake and may be indicative of a severe challenge to homoeostasis regulation