In vitro rumen fermentation kinetics of diets containing oldman saltbush hay and forage cactus, using a cattle inoculum

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate, by means of the semi-automated in vitro gas production technique, fermentation kinetics of carbohydrates and degradability of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) of diets containing oldman saltbush hay levels (8.4; 18.8; 31.2 and 48.3%) associated to forage cactus in natura. Pressure readings of the gases were done with a pressure transducer at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 17, 20, 24, 28, 34, 48, 72 and 96h post-inoculation. The rumen kinetics was described by the following parameters: maximum potential of gas production, lag time and production rates of gas (k), fibrous carbohydrates (FC) and non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC). It could be observed that the addition of oldman saltbush hay to the diets promoted a quadratic effect in the production of gases originated from NFC. However, there was no significant effect on the production of gases originated from FC and on production rates of gases from NFC and FC. The degradability of DM and OM did not differ due to the addition of oldman saltbush hay. The use of 8.4% hay and 74.9% forage cactus promoted the maximum potential of production of gases from the fibrous fraction of diets containing cactus and oldman saltbush hay

Fracionamento de carboidratos e degradabilidade ruminal da cana-de-açúcar tratada com óxido de cálcio

Avaliaram-se o fracionamento de carboidratos e a degradabilidade in situ da matéria seca (MS) e da fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) da cana-de-açúcar tratada com óxido de cálcio (CaO). Foram testadas as porcentagens de 0; 0,75; 1,5; 2,25; 3,0; 3,75 e 4,5% de CaO, e o material testemunha (cana-de-açúcar in natura) para a avaliação do fracionamento de carboidratos, e as porcentagens de 0; 1,5; 3,0 e 4,5% de CaO para a avaliação da degradabilidade in situ da MS e da FDN. O CaO foi adicionado em pó na cana-de-açúcar, em porcentagem da matéria natural, por 24 horas. A porcentagem de inclusão de CaO na cana-de-açúcar proporcionou valores mais baixos para teores de carboidratos totais (CT) comparados aos valores da cana-de-açúcar in natura. Observou-se crescimento linear das frações A+B1 e B2, e redução na fração C da cana-de-açúcar em função da porcentagem de CaO. Os maiores valores de fração insolúvel potencialmente degradável da MS e menores de fração indigestível (Ip) da FDN foram observados na cana-de-açúcar com 3,0 e 4,5% de CaO. A adição de 3,0 e 4,5% de CaO na cana-de-açúcar promove diminuição da fração indigestível dos carboidratos e melhores taxas de degradação ruminal tanto da MS quanto da FDN

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora