Triticale Fed to Finishing Pigsin Hoop Barns

Triticale is a synthetic small grain made by crossing durum wheat and rye. Triticale has more crude protein and an amino acid profile that more closely matches the needs of the finishing pig than corn. Using triticale as an ingredient in swine diets decreases the amount of soybean meal needed to meet the amino acid needs of the pig, compared to corn-based diets. There have been conflicting results on the effects of feeding triticale to finishing pigs. Some studies reported similar pig performance when triticale replaced corn as the dietary grain source, while others have shown decreased performance. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of triticale-based diets in deep-bedded hoop barns on finishing pig performance

Study on genetic diversity in Pakistani wheat varieties using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

Common wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a grass species, cultivated world wide. Globally, it is the most important human food grain and ranks second in total production as a cereal crop behind maize. Genetic diversity evaluation of germplasm is the basis of improvement in wheat. In the present study genetic diversity of 10 varieties of wheat (T. aestivum) were analyzed using 14 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer sets. To estimate the genetic diversity among the genotypes, bivariate data matrix was generated and genetic distances were calculated using unweighted pair group of arithmetic mean (UPGMA) procedure. A high degree of genetic polymorphism was observed among the wheat varieties with average genetic distances ranged from 16 to 67%. SSR primer gdm-3, gdm-19, gdm-61, gdm-62, gdm-64, gdm-86, gdm-88, gdm 93-2a, 93-4b, gdm-13 and gdm-115 amplified 3, 2.9, 4.1, 4.7, 3, 1.7, 2.7, 3.7, 5.8, 4.1 and 1.4 loci per variety, respectively. Most diverse varieties of wheat were identified (Punjab-81 and Indus-79) and recommendations were made to utilize these varieties in future breeding program

Integration of Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility with Other Key Anchors of Success

Corporate Social Responsibility is a firm’s moral obligation towards its customers. Usually CSR is seen in the context of buyers, customers and society outside the organization scenario. The present study examines strategic corporate social responsibility from employees’ perspective mediated by human resource development in relation to employee engagement and emotional intelligence. A structured questionnaire is used to collect the data from the employees serving private and foreign banks. Findings reveal a positive and significant impact of Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Development on Employee Engagement and Emotional Intelligence. Keywords: Strategic corporate social responsibility, emotional intelligence, employee engagement, human resource development, banking sector, Pakista

Joint optimization of Age of Information and Energy Efficiency in IoT Networks

Age of information (AoI) refers to the freshness of data generated by a status-update system. It is a crucial metric in networks such as Internet of things (IoT), specially when the underlying application demands fresh update. In environmental monitoring and smart agriculture, apart from the importance of AoI, energy efficiency (EE) becomes inevitable owing to network longevity. This paper studies an IoT network where the end devices transfer their information to a central gateway residing on a moving platform such as a tractor, which collects information from a large number of sensors in an agri-field. An optimal trajectory of the mobile reader is proposed using a modified nearest neighbor algorithm to gather the information from randomly distributed sensors. A clustering algorithm is also used to cluster the data in such a way that the overall EE of the network is maximized keeping a desired AoI and outage probability

Air quality in Mecca and surrounding holy places in Saudi Arabia during Hajj: initial survey.

The Arabian Peninsula experiences severe air pollution, the extent and sources of which are poorly documented. Each year in Saudi Arabia this situation is intensified during Hajj, the Holy Pilgrimage of Islam that draws millions of pilgrims to Mecca. An initial study of air quality in Mecca and surrounding holy sites during the 2012 Hajj (October 24-27) revealed strongly elevated levels of the combustion tracer carbon monoxide (CO, up to 57 ppmv) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) along the pilgrimage route-especially in the tunnels of Mecca-that are a concern for human health. The most abundant VOC was the gasoline evaporation tracer i-pentane, which exceeded 1200 ppbv in the tunnels. Even though VOC concentrations were generally lower during a follow-up non-Hajj sampling period (April 2013), many were still comparable to other large cities suffering from poor air quality. Major VOC sources during the 2012 Hajj study included vehicular exhaust, gasoline evaporation, liquefied petroleum gas, and air conditioners. Of the measured compounds, reactive alkenes and CO showed the strongest potential to form ground-level ozone. Because the number of pilgrims is expected to increase in the future, we present emission reduction strategies to target both combustive and evaporative fossil fuel sources

Effects of Triticale-Based Diets fed in Deep-Bedded Hoop Barns on Finishing Pig Performance and Pork Quality

Triticale is a synthetic small grain that results from an intergeneric cross between durum wheat and rye. Triticale has shown potential as a feedstuff in swine diets. Producers who may find this to be an attractive crop may also raise swine in an alternative swine production system. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of triticale-based diets on pork quality and finishing pig performance of pigs reared in deep-bedded hoop barns

Effects of Triticale-Based Diets on Finishing Pig Performance and Pork Quality in Deep-Bedded Hoop Barns

Effects of triticale-based diets on finishing pig performance and pork quality in deep-bedded hoop barns were evaluated. Triticale is a synthetic small grain resulting from a cross between durum wheat and rye. The study consisted of four trials: two in winter (November 2003 through March 2004) and two in summer (May 2004 through September 2004) at the ISU Western Research and Demonstration Farm, Castana, IA. Each trial consisted of six pens of ten pigs (five barrows, five gilts) in three smallscale hoop barns (6.0 × 10.8 m). Pens were randomly assigned one dietary treatment: 1) corn-soybean meal control, 2) 40% Trical 815 triticale diet (by weight) or 3) 80% Trical 815 triticale diet (by weight). The 40 and 80% triticale diets had corn and soybean meal added. Animals had ad libitum access to feed and water during the study. Pigs were started on experiment at approximately 72 kg and fed for 49 d. At the end of each trial all pigs were scanned for backfat thickness and loin muscle area. Barrows from one winter and one summer trial were evaluated for meat and fat quality and sensory evaluation of pork. End weights and ADG were greater during the winter than summer (treatment × season interaction P \u3c 0.01) and decreased as triticale inclusion increased (P \u3c 0.001). Feed intake was similar. Pigs fed the control diet had the greatest G:F, those fed the 80% triticale diet had the least, with pigs fed the 40% triticale diet having intermediate G:F. During the summer, pigs fed the control diet had more BF (P \u3c 0.05) than those fed the triticale diets. Also during summer, pigs fed the control diet had the largest loin muscle area (LMA) (47.5 ± 1.72 cm2); pigs fed the 40% triticale diet had intermediate LMA (45.5 ± 1.72 cm2) and those fed the 80% triticale diet had the smallest LMA (43.4 ± 1.73 cm2). Dietary treatment had no effect on carcass weight, BF, LMA, percentage lean of barrows or sensory evaluation or fatty acid profile of loin chops. Ultimate pH was higher (P \u3c 0.001), percentage loin purge was less (P \u3c 0.05) and shear force (kg) was less (P \u3c 0.05) during summer than winter. Total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were greater (P \u3c 0.05) and total PUFA in loins were less (P \u3c 0.01) during the winter than summer. Replacing corn with triticale in finishing pig diets in hoops slightly decreased growth performance, but did not affect pork quality. Increasing the amount of triticale in finishing pig diets decreased dietary soybean meal and dicalcium phosphate levels. This may reduce dietary costs. However, pigs fed triticale had 10% less average daily gain and 13% poorer feed conversion at the greater inclusion rate (80% of the diet). This may offset the potentially lower dietary costs. Triticale can be fed to pigs without compromising pork or fat quality. There was no difference in pork eating quality from pigs fed corn-based or triticale-based diets, according to a trained sensory evaluation panel. Further research on triticale-based swine diets is warranted. Triticale-based diets in deep-bedded hoop barns should be evaluated when dietary fat is added, as finishing pig performance may be enhanced. An economic analysis should be conducted on utilization of triticale as a feedstuff in swine diets fed to finishing pigs in deep-bedded hoop barns. From the results of this study, triticale has potential as a feed grain crop in integrated crop and livestock enterprises in the Midwest U. S

Development of RAPD based markers for wheat rust resistance gene cluster (Lr37-Sr38-Yr17) derived from Triticum ventricosum L.

Rust diseases are the major cause of low yield of wheat in Pakistan. Wheat breeders all over the world as well as in Pakistan are deriving rust resistance genes from alien species like Triticum ventricosumand introducing them in common wheat (Triticum aestivum). One such example is the introgression of rust resistance gene cluster Lr37-Sr38-Yr17 derived from T. ventricosum chromosome 2NS into thecommon wheat. A basic prerequisite to introduce alien rust resistance gene (like those present on 2NS segment) in locally adapted varieties is availability of a suitable marker system which can be used tokeep track of presence of newly added gene in the old background. In this present study, one hundred and fifty Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were used to detect polymorphismbetween two near isogenic lines NILs (Anza and Anza+2NS) of wheat and to develop RAPD based molecular markers for rust resistance gene cluster derived from T. ventricosum. Polymerase chainreactions were carried out using standard protocols. All the amplification products were in the range of 250 to 1000 bp. Thirteen molecular markers (RAPDs) out of a total of 150 (approximately 8.6%) were developed for rust resistance gene cluster Lr37-Sr38-Yr17 and recommendations have been made to utilize these markers in Pakistani wheat breeding programs aimed at establishing rust resistantgermplasm