Temperate Grassland Yields and Nitrogen Uptake Are Influenced by Fertilizer Nitrogen Source

This research was supported under the National Development Plan through the Research Stimulus Fund administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Grants RSF10-/RD/SC/716 and RSF11S138) and from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland and by the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Scheme.peer reviewedIn temperate grasslands, N source influences greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrification and urea hydrolysis inhibitors can reduce these losses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of N source, urease inhibitors, and nitrification inhibitors on temperate grassland yields and N uptake. Experiments were conducted at three locations over 2 years (6 site-years) on the island of Ireland, covering a range of soils and climatic conditions. Results showed that calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), urea+N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), urea+NBPT+dicyandiamide (DCD), and urea had equal annual dry matter yield. Urea+DCD had lower dry matter yield than CAN for 3 site-years. Calcium ammonium nitrate and urea+NBPT consistently had the same N uptake, urea+DCD had lower N uptake than CAN in 4 of 6 site-years, urea had lower N uptake than CAN in 2 site-years, and urea+NBPT+DCD had lower N uptake than CAN in 1 site-year. Urea+NBPT is a cost-effective alternative to CAN, which is consistently equal in terms of yield and N uptake in temperate grassland.Teagasc Walsh Fellowship ProgrammeDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern IrelandDepartment of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Effects of urease and nitrification inhibitors on yields and emissions in grassland and spring barley

We thank the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Grant No. 11/S/138), the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Initiative for Ireland (Grant No. 10/RD/SC/716), Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland and the Walsh Fellowship Scheme for the funding provide to Ms Mary Harty and Ms Leanne Roche.Conference paper presented to the International Fertiliser Society at a Conference in Cambridge, United Kingdom, on 9th December 2016.In trials conducted in the temperate maritime climate of Ireland on a range of acidic soils, calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and urea gave comparable yield performance. There was little evidence of reduced yields by using urea for grassland or spring barley. Our finding that urea produced annual yields that were not significantly different from CAN differs from previous studies which found that yields from urea were lower than those from ammonium nitrate or nitrate based fertiliser in the UK. However, there are also published results from trials conducted in temperate Irish grassland showing equal yield performance of CAN and urea in the 1970s. Based on yield performance and the cost of fertiliser there is scope to dramatically increase the level of urea usage in straight and blended fertilisers in the temperate maritime climate of Ireland in both grassland and spring barley. Such an increase will bring substantial benefits in terms of reducing direct nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from fertiliser applied to soil, particularly in poorly draining soils subject to high levels of precipitation. Nitrogen recovery by plants tends to be more sensitive to differences in fertiliser efficiency than is yield. Although yields did not differ between urea and CAN; urea had a lower nitrogen recovery indicating that urea usage will also result in a reduced level of fertiliser use efficiency. Reduced efficiency is less tangible to farmers who tend to be primarily concerned with dependable yield results. Reduced efficiency is a problem nonetheless, particularly as it is closely linked to NH3 emissions in urea usage. European countries including Ireland have committed to reduce national NH3 emissions to comply with the revised National Emission Ceilings Directive (2001/81/EC) in Europe. Increased urea usage, which looks attractive from a yield, cost and direct N2O perspective in Ireland, runs counter to meeting these commitments. Additionally, NH3 is a source of indirect N2O emissions that will negate some of the N2O savings from urea. Due to the issues of yield dependability, fertiliser efficiency, N2O and NH3 emissions the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) is a particularly attractive option for making urea use more efficient by addressing its key weakness in the area of variable NH3 loss and efficiency. The urease inhibitor NBPT along with the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) were tested with urea in comparison with calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN). The nitrification inhibitor DCD was very effective in reducing fertiliser N associated N2O emissions. Indeed, its usage allowed N2O levels to be reduced to levels comparable to where no application of N fertiliser was made at some site-years. However, at the DCD incorporation rate tested, DCD contributed to variability in NH3 loss from urea and suppressed both yield response and fertiliser efficiency. Use of the urease inhibitor NBPT in addition to DCD went a substantial way to resolving these shortcomings. Continuing work is needed to tailor the rate of existing and new urease and nitrification inhibitors to optimise the balance between suppression of gaseous N emissions, agronomic performance and economic considerations.We thank the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Grant No. 11/S/138), the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Initiative for Ireland (Grant No. 10/RD/SC/716), Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland and the Walsh Fellowship Scheme for the funding provide to Ms Mary Harty and Ms Leanne Roche

La influencia de la posición anatómica sobre la capacidad de retención del agua y sobre la blandura de la carne de caballo

Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi sposobnost zadržavanja vode (kalo odmrzavanja, kalo kuhanja) i mekoću (silu presijecanja) najdužeg leđnog mišića (LT) i polutetivastog mišića (ST) konjskog mesa izuzetih nakon uobičajene klaoničke prakse. Prosječna vrijednost kala odmrzavanja LT mišića bila je 8,65 %, dok je prosječna vrijednost kala odmrzavanja ST mišića bila 6,69 %. Prosječna vrijednost kala kuhanja LT mišića bila je 19,35 %. Znatno veća prosječna vrijednost kala kuhanja utvrđena je u ST mišiću (23,41 %). Prosječna vrijednost sile presijecanja LT mišića bila je 28,10 N. Prosječna vrijednost sile presijecanja ST mišića bila je znatno veća od one utvrđene u LT mišiću te je iznosila 45,64 N. Usporednom analizom razlika srednjih vrijednosti kala odmrzavanja, kala kuhanja i mekoće utvrđene su statistički značajne razlike između LT i ST (p<0,0001) mišića konjskog mesa. Nadalje, rezultati potvrđuju umjereno visoku i pozitivnu korelaciju (r=0,60; p<0,0001) kala odmrzavanja između LT i ST mišića. Zaključno, anatomska pozicija je čimbenik kojeg je potrebno uzeti u obzir ne samo u istraživanjima nego i pri tehnološkoj obradi te izboru i kupnji konjskog mesa.The aim of the study was to investigate water-holding capacity (thawing loss, cooking loss) and tenderness (shear force) of longissimus thoracis muscle (LT) and semitendinosus muscle (ST) of horse meat. The thawing loss value for LT muscle was 8.65%, whereas for ST muscle was 6.69%. The cooking loss for LT muscle was 19.35%, whereas for ST muscle was 23.41%. The shear force for LT muscle was 28.10 N, whereas for ST muscle was higher (45.64 N). Paired t-test analysis showed significant differences for thawing loss, cooking loss, and shear force between LT and ST muscles (p<0.0001). Furthermore, the results showed high correlation (r=0.60; p<0.0001) for cooking loss between LT and ST muscles. Finally, it could be concluded that the anatomical location is a trait that surely must be considered in further investigations, in meat processing and purchasing of horse meat.Ziel dieser Arbeit bestand darin, das Wasserhaltevermögen (Wasserverlust beim Auftauen, Wasserverlust beim Kochen) und die Zartheit (Scherkraft) des längsten Rückenmuskels (LT) und des halbsehnigen Muskels (ST) beim Pferdefleisch zu untersuchen, deren Proben nach der üblichen Schlachtpraxis entnommen wurde. Der durchschnittliche Wert des Wasserverlusts beim Auftauen betrug beim LT Muskel 8,65%, während der durchschnittliche Wert des Wasserverlusts beim Auftauen beim ST Muskel 6,69% betrug. Der durchschnittliche Wert des Verlusts beim Kochen betrug beim LT Muskel 19,35%, während beim ST Muskel ein bedeutend höherer mittlerer Wert des Verlusts beim Kochen festgelegt wurde (23,41%). Der mittlere Wert der Scherkraft betrug beim LT Muskel 28,10 N. Der mittlere Wert der Scherkraft beim ST Muskel war mit einem Wert von 45,64 N bedeutend höher als beim LT Muskel. Bei einer vergleichenden Auswertung der mittleren Werte des Verlusts beim Auftauen, Kochen und bei der Zartheit wurden zwischen dem LT und ST Muskel beim Pferdefleisch statistisch relevante Unterschiede festgestellt (p<0,0001). Die Ergebnisse bestätigen darüber hinaus eine relativ hohe und positive Korrelation (r=0,60; p<0,0001) des Verlustes beim Auftauen zwischen dem LT und ST Muskel. Als Schlussfolgerung kann konstatiert werden, dass die anatomische Lage ein Faktor ist, der nicht nur bei Untersuchungen berücksichtigt werden sollte, sondern auch bei der technologischen Verarbeitung sowie bei der Wahl und dem Kauf von Pferdefleisch.Lo scopo della ricerca è consistito nell\u27accertare la capacità di trattenere l\u27acqua (calo da scongelamento, calo da cottura) e la tenerezza (forza di taglio) del muscolo lunghissimo (LT) e del muscolo semitendinoso (ST) della carne equina prelevati dopo la consueta prassi di macellazione. Circa il calo da scongelamento del muscolo LT, la ricerca ha evidenziato un valore medio dell\u278,65%, mentre, riguardo al calo da scongelamento del muscolo ST, ha evidenziato un valore medio del 6,69%. Circa il calo da cottura del muscolo LT, la ricerca ha evidenziato un valore medio del 19,35%. Il valore medio del calo da cottura evidenziato riguardo al muscolo ST è stato di molto maggiore (23,41%). Il valore medio della forza di taglio del muscolo LT è risultato di 28,10 N. Il valore medio della forza di taglio del muscolo ST, pari a 45,64 N, è risultato molto maggiore del valore medio registrato riguardo al muscolo LT. Mediante l\u27analisi comparativa delle differenze dei valori medi del calo da scongelamento, del calo da cottura e della tenerezza, sono state accertate differenze statisticamente significative tra il muscolo LT e il muscolo ST (p<0,0001) della carne equina. I risultati confermano anche una correlazione mediamente elevata e positiva (r=0,60; p<0,0001) del calo da scongelamento tra i muscoli LT e ST. In conclusione, la posizione anatomica è un fattore che va preso in considerazione non soltanto in sede di ricerca, ma anche nel processo tecnologico, nella scelta e nell\u27acquisto della carne equina.El fin de esta investigación fue determinar la capacidad de retención del agua (merma por descongelación, merma por cocción) y la blandura (fuerza de corte) del músculo más largo de la espalda (LT) y el músculo ST de la carne de caballo tomadas después de la práctica habitual en el matadero. El valor medio de la merma por descongelación del músculo LT fue 8,65%, mientras el valor medio de la merma por descongelación del músculo ST fue 6,69%. El valor medio de la merma por cocción del músculo LT fue 19,35%. El valor medio de la merma por cocción del músculo ST fue considerablemente más alto, (23,41%). El valor medio de la fuerza de corte del músculo LT fue 28,10 N. El valor medio de la fuerza de corte del músculo ST fue considerablemente más alto que el valor determinado para el músculo LT y fue 45,64 N. Por el análisis comparativo de los valores medio de la merma por descongelación, de la merma por cocción y de la blandura fueron determinadas diferencias estadísticamente significantes entre los músculos LT y ST (p<0,0001) de carne de caballo. Además, los resultados confirman la correlación positiva moderada (r=0,60; p<0,0001) de la merma por descongelación entre los músculos LT y ST. En conclusión, la posición anatómica es un factor que hay que tomar en cuenta no sólo en las investigaciones sino también durante el procesamiento tecnológico y en la compra de la carne de caballo

Can the agronomic performance of urea equal calcium ammonium nitrate across nitrogen rates in temperate grassland?

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Schemepeer-reviewedIn temperate grassland, urea has been shown to have lower nitrous oxide emissions compared to ammonium nitrate-based fertilizer and is less expensive. However, nitrogen (N) loss via ammonia volatilization from urea raises questions regarding yield performance and efficiency. This study compares the yield and N offtake of grass fertilized with urea, calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and urea treated with the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) at six site-years. Five annual fertilizer N rates (100–500 kg N/ha) were applied in five equal splits of 20–100 kg N/ha during the growing season. On average, urea produced slightly better yields than CAN in spring (103.5% of CAN yield) and slightly poorer yields in summer (98.4% of CAN yield). There was no significant difference in annual grass yield between urea, CAN and urea + NBPT. Urea had the lowest cost per tonne of DM grass yield produced. However, the urea treatment had lower N offtake than CAN and this difference was more pronounced as the N rate increased. There was no difference in N offtake between urea + NBPT and CAN. While this study shows that urea produced yields comparable to CAN, urea apparent fertilizer N recovery (AFNR) tends to be lower. Urea selection in place of CAN will increase national ammonia emissions which is problematic for countries with targets to reduce ammonia emissions. Promisingly, NBPT allows the agronomic performance of urea to consistently equal CAN across N rates by addressing the ammonia loss limitations of urea.Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern IrelandTeagasc Walsh Fellowship ProgrammeDepartment of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Temporal Expression of Chemokines Dictates the Hepatic Inflammatory Infiltrate in a Murine Model of Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis continues to be an important cause of parasitic morbidity and mortality world-wide. Determining the molecular mechanisms regulating the development of granulomas and fibrosis will be essential for understanding how schistosome antigens interact with the host environment. We report here the first whole genome microarray analysis of the murine liver during the progression of Schistosoma japonicum egg-induced granuloma formation and hepatic fibrosis. Our results reveal a distinct temporal relationship between the expression of chemokine subsets and the recruitment of cells to the infected liver. Genes up-regulated earlier in the response included T- and B-cell chemoattractants, reflecting the early recruitment of these cells illustrated by flow cytometry. The later phases of the response corresponded with peak recruitment of eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages and myofibroblasts/hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the expression of chemokines with activity for these cells including CCL11 (eotaxin 1), members of the Monocyte-chemoattractant protein family (CCL7, CCL8, CCL12) and the Hepatic Stellate Cell/Fibrocyte chemoattractant CXCL1. Peak expression of macrophage chemoattractants (CCL6, CXCL14) and markers of alternatively activated macrophages (e.g. Retnla) during this later phase provides further evidence of a role for these cells in schistosome-induced pathology. Additionally, we demonstrate that CCL7 immunolocalises to the fibrotic zone of granulomas. Furthermore, striking up-regulation of neutrophil markers and the localisation of neutrophils and the neutrophil chemokine S100A8 to fibrotic areas suggest the involvement of neutrophils in S. japonicum-induced hepatic fibrosis. These results further our understanding of the immunopathogenic and, especially, chemokine signalling pathways that regulate the development of S. japonicum-induced granulomas and fibrosis and may provide correlative insight into the pathogenesis of other chronic inflammatory diseases of the liver where fibrosis is a common feature

Assortative Mating in Fallow Deer Reduces the Strength of Sexual Selection

Background: Assortative mating can help explain how genetic variation for male quality is maintained even in highly polygynous species. Here, we present a longitudinal study examining how female and male ages, as well as male social dominance, affect assortative mating in fallow deer (Dama dama) over 10 years. Assortative mating could help explain the substantial proportion of females that do not mate with prime-aged, high ranking males, despite very high mating skew. We investigated the temporal pattern of female and male matings, and the relationship between female age and the age and dominance of their mates. Results: The peak of yearling female matings was four days later than the peak for older females. Younger females, and especially yearlings, mated with younger and lower-ranking males than older females. Similarly, young males and lowerranking males mated with younger females than older males and higher-ranking males. Furthermore, the timing of matings by young males coincided with the peak of yearling female matings, whereas the timing of older male matings (irrespective of rank) coincided with the peak of older female matings. Conclusions: Assortative mating, through a combination of indirect and/or direct female mate choice, can help explain th

Communicating Nitrogen Loss Mechanisms for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency Management, Focused on Global Wheat

Nitrogen (N) losses are a major environmental issue. Globally, crop N fertilizer applications are excessive, and N use efficiency (NUE) is low. N loss represents a significant economic loss to the farmer. NUE is difficult to quantify in real time because of the multiple chemical–biological–physical factors interacting. While there is much scientific understanding of N interactions in the plant–soil system, there is little formal expression of scientific knowledge in farm practice. The objective of this study was to clearly define the factors controlling NUE in wheat production, focusing on N inputs, flows, transformations, and outputs from the plant–soil system. A series of focus groups were conducted with professional agronomists and industry experts, and their technical information was considered alongside a structured literature review. To express this understanding, clear graphical representations are provided in the text. The analysis of the NUE processes revealed 16 management interventions which could be prioritized to increase farm nitrogen use efficiency. These management interventions were grouped into three categories—inputs, flow between pools, and outputs—and include management options through the range of application errors, fertilizer input choice, root development, pests and disease, soil structure, harvesting and storage errors, and soil resources of water, micronutrients, carbon, nitrogen, and pH. It was noted that technical solutions such as fertilizer formulation and managing organic matter require significant supply chain upgrades. It was also noted that farm-scale decision support would be best managed using a risk/probability-based recommender system rather than generic guidelines

Communicating Nitrogen Loss Mechanisms for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency Management, Focused on Global Wheat

Nitrogen (N) losses are a major environmental issue. Globally, crop N fertilizer applications are excessive, and N use efficiency (NUE) is low. N loss represents a significant economic loss to the farmer. NUE is difficult to quantify in real time because of the multiple chemical&ndash;biological&ndash;physical factors interacting. While there is much scientific understanding of N interactions in the plant&ndash;soil system, there is little formal expression of scientific knowledge in farm practice. The objective of this study was to clearly define the factors controlling NUE in wheat production, focusing on N inputs, flows, transformations, and outputs from the plant&ndash;soil system. A series of focus groups were conducted with professional agronomists and industry experts, and their technical information was considered alongside a structured literature review. To express this understanding, clear graphical representations are provided in the text. The analysis of the NUE processes revealed 16 management interventions which could be prioritized to increase farm nitrogen use efficiency. These management interventions were grouped into three categories&mdash;inputs, flow between pools, and outputs&mdash;and include management options through the range of application errors, fertilizer input choice, root development, pests and disease, soil structure, harvesting and storage errors, and soil resources of water, micronutrients, carbon, nitrogen, and pH. It was noted that technical solutions such as fertilizer formulation and managing organic matter require significant supply chain upgrades. It was also noted that farm-scale decision support would be best managed using a risk/probability-based recommender system rather than generic guidelines

Lactobacilli Are Prominent in the Initial Stages of Polymicrobial Infection of Dental Pulp▿

In earlier studies we used molecular methods to identify the major bacterial consortia associated with advanced dentin caries. These consortia are dominated by bacteria from the families Lactobacillaceae, Streptococcaceae, Veillonellaceae (formerly Acidaminococcaceae), Eubacteriaceae, and Lachnospiraceae from the phylum Firmicutes; Coriobacteriaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, and Propionibacteriaceae from the phylum Actinobacteria; and Prevotellaceae from the phylum Bacteroidetes, as well as fusobacteria. The phases of infection of vital pulp tissue by dentin microorganisms remain obscure. In the present study, fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed on sections of tissue embedded in resin. Probes for 16S rRNA corresponding to the major taxa of bacteria in carious dentin were used to provide information on the characteristics of pulp infection. Lactobacilli were prominent in 7 of 8 pulps determined to be at a limited stage of infection. Established infection (6 pulps) showed a more complex profile, with lactobacilli persisting in all of the lesions and with invasion of the necrotic regions of tissue by Bacteroidetes, fusobacteria, Lachnospiraceae, and Coriobacteriaceae in particular. Advanced infections (7 pulps) were characterized by mixed anaerobic species, with a strong representation by Coriobacteriaceae and Lachnospiraceae. Lactobacilli were not represented at this stage. Typically, groups of organisms were spatially isolated within the pulp tissue. Analysis indicated that lactobacilli could invade vital pulp tissue to achieve a very high biomass that was not associated with a detectable local inflammatory infiltrate. The findings establish that invasion of the dental pulp can be associated with a pronounced selection from the complex microbial populations within carious dentin, suggesting specific pathogenicity

Differing effects of increasing calcium ammonium nitrate, urea and urea + NBPT fertiliser rates on nitrous oxide emission factors at six temperate grassland sites in Ireland

peer-reviewedThe present study evaluated the impact of three nitrogen (N) fertiliser formulations, applied at five N rates, on nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes and annual direct N2O-N emission factors (EF) in temperate grassland. Closed static chambers were used to measure direct N2O fluxes at three geographically dispersed locations in Ireland over a two-year period, generating a total of 90 EFs across the six site-years and treatments. The three fertiliser formulations tested were calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), urea, and urea amended with the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) at 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 kg N ha−1 yr−1. All treatments were applied in five equal split applications ranging from 20 to 100 kg N ha−1 split-1 over the growing season. The N2O-N EFs for CAN ranged from 0.39 − 4.68 with a mean of 1.62 (cv. 81 %), for urea from 0.04 – 1.7 with a mean of 0.46 (cv. 77 %) and for urea + NBPT from 0.18 – 1.7 with a mean of 0.60 (cv. 59 %). A significant positive relationship was found between the N rate and the annual N2O-N EFs in three (CAN), five (urea) and two (urea + NBPT) of six the site-years. For the remainder of the site-years EF was unaffected by N rate. These results indicate that fertiliser N choice and rate can be management factors that enable farmers to alter N2O losses in temperate grassland. Notably, the response of EF to increasing N rate was not consistent across the fertilisers, with the EF from urea being the most sensitive to the increasing N rate, urea + NBPT the least sensitive and CAN being intermediate. The accuracy of national greenhouse gas accounting could be improved by including N fertiliser formulation and its rate of application. Further research is also needed to understand the inconsistency in EF response to N rate across sites.Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affair