Effects of replacing different proportions of barley grain by barley fibre on performance of dairy bulls

The objective of the present experiment was to study the effects of partial replacement of barley grain with barley fibre (BF) on animal performance, carcass traits and diet digestibility of growing dairy bulls. The feeding experiment comprised 20 Finnish Ayrshire bulls and 12 Holstein-Friesian bulls, and four treatments (8 bulls per treatment). There were four diets with two offered at stage 1 (from the initiation of the study to 450 kg live weight) and four at stage 2 (from 450 kg live weight to slaughter). The control diet (BF0) included grass silage (460 g kg–1 dry matter) and barley grain (540), BF25 diet included grass silage (460), barley grain (405) and BF (135), BF50 diet included grass silage (460), barley grain (270) and BF (270), and BF75 diet included grass silage (460), barley grain (135) and BF (405). At stage 1 there were only two treatments (BF0 and BF50) and at stage 2, all four treatments were included. All bulls were fed total mixed ration ad libitum. The mean initial live weight of the bulls was 261 kg and the mean final live weight 650 kg. At stage 1 there were no significant treatment differences in dry matter, energy or protein intakes or in live weight gain. At stage 2, replacing barley grain with BF led to a linear decrease of daily live weight gain (P < 0.05) and a linearly reduced feed conversion (kg dry matter kg–1 live weight gain) (P < 0.05). The apparent digestibility of the organic matter and neutral detergent fibre decreased linearly with increasing BF supplementation (P < 0.001). The dressing proportion and the carcass fat score decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with partial replacement of barley grain with BF. On carcass conformation, treatment had a significant (P < 0.05) quadratic effect: the BF25 and BF50 diets were classified highest. The results indicate that 50% of barley starch can be replaced with BF without affecting growth, but feed efficiency factors may decrease when barley starch is replaced with BF. At 75% replacement, feed intake was reduced, which resulted in a lower energy intake and reduced level of performance

Need for protein supplementation in the diet of growing dairy bulls fed total mixed ration based on moderate digestible grass silage and barley

The objective of the present experiment was to study the need for the protein supplementation in the diet of growing dairy bulls (initial live weight 272 ± 28.5 kg and final live weight 666 ± 31.2 kg, on average) fed total mixed ration based on moderate digestible grass silage and barley. The experiment comprised 24 Finnish Ayrshire bulls and 8 Holstein-Friesian bulls and included four treatments. The control diet (C) consisted of moderate digestible (653 g digestible organic matter in dry matter (DM) grass silage (450 g kg-1 DM), barley grain (275) and barley fibre (275) without protein supplementation. Three isonitrogenous experimental diets included also extra protein, i.e. (1) rapeseed meal (RSM) (supplementation 530 g DM per animal day-1), (2) wet distillers’ solubles (WDS) (600 g) and (3) a mixture of barley protein (90% of fresh weight) and wet distillers’ solubles (10) (BPWDS) (480 g). In all isonitrogenous diets the crude protein content of concentrate increased from 137 to 150 g kg-1 DM (9%) compared with the C diet. All bulls were fed total mixed ration ad libitum. The energy content of all diets was 11.6 MJ kg-1 DM. The live weight gain of the bulls tended to be higher with the BPWDS diet than with the C diet (C 1214 vs. BPWDS 1301 g d-1; p = 0.10), but the treatments had no significant effect on carcass gain, feed conversion or slaughter parameters. Only the BPWDS diet differed significantly from the C diet in DM (C 9.69 vs. BPWDS 10.38 kg DM d-1; p < 0.01) and energy intake (C 112.4 vs. BPWDS 120.3 MJ d-1; p < 0.05). The apparent organic matter digestibility (OMD) was 5% higher in the BPWDS diet than in the C diet (p < 0.001), but the RSM and WDS diets did not differ from the C diet in OMD. The results indicate that the supply of protein in dairy bulls is most probably adequate with moderate digestible, well-preserved grass silage and barley-based concentrates when intake of digestible organic matter is high enough to support microbial protein synthesis in the rumen

An Assessment of Efforts to Reform the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was the culmination of decades of negotiations and compromise. Compromises, changes in the security environment, and the ambitious nature of the CWC as meant that the implementation of the CWC has been uneven. Some objectives, such as chemical weapons disarmament, has been prioritized over other objectives. Weakly enforced objectives, such as non-proliferation and enforcement, have instead been enforced through unilateral means and informal international security arrangements. As the destruction of declared chemical weapons is nearing its completion, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has realized its need to reprioritize its objectives. This is being informed through practical experiences, a realistic assessment of the organization’s capabilities, and the balancing of the needs of individual States Parties. Reforms, and suggested reforms from the OPCW, have mostly been half-measures but include transformations of the OPCW which demonstrate a desire to stay relevant to the norm against chemical weapons

Who Supports Anti-Immigrant Parties and Why? A Two-Step approach using the European Social Survey, 2002 - 2012

This thesis analyses the popularity of anti-immigrant parties and anti-immigrant opinions in Europe, which have grown rapidly in the 21st century. Diverging from the earlier research on the topic, the preference of anti-immigrant parties is the key variable of interest and it is analyzed using economic, socio-demographic, as well as sociotropic factors. The first six waves of the European Social Survey are used, together with a two-step ordinary least squares estimator, to obtain individual and country-level effects. The findings suggest that both cultural and economic concerns about immigration are driving the parties success. The former has the larger effect, while opinions on ethnicity are divided. The key findings include that preferring an anti-immigrant party is associated with a more positive attitude towards immigration of the same ethnicity, and that education is an insignificant factor when controlling for opinion on immigration

Nutrient losses from organic and conventional crop rotations - a case study on fine sand soil

P and N losses were highest from the conventional crop rotation. The losses were most affected by single management practices. The four-year study is, however, too short for soil derived, long-term differences to come fully out in the leaching losses

Performance of growing dairy bulls offered diets based on silages made of whole-crop barley, whole-crop wheat, hairy vetch and grass

The present experiment was conducted to study diet digestibility, feed intake, animal performance and carcass characteristics of growing dairy bulls offered diets based on whole-crop barley, a mixture of whole-crop barley and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) or a mixture of whole-crop wheat and hairy vetch relative to moderate digestible grass silage-based diet. The feeding experiment with 24 Finnish Ayrshire and 8 Holstein-Friesian bulls included 4 forage feeding treatments: grass silage (G), whole-crop barley and hairy vetch mixture silage (BHV), whole-crop wheat and hairy vetch mixture silage (WHV) and whole-crop barley silage (B). In all treatments animals were offered silage ad libitum. The amount of concentrate supplementation was 36 g per animal per day for all treatments. The concentrate ration included rolled barley and rapeseed meal. Differences between the treatments were compared using an a priori test (Dunnett's test) so that comparison of the diets was based on the G diet. The animals were fed the experimental diets from day 240 to finish at day 505 of age. During the experiment the average concentrate proportions of G, BHV, WHV and B diets were 437, 424, 426 and 423 g dry matter (DM)/(kg DM), respectively. There were no significant differences in silage DM intake or in the total DM intake(DMI) (kg DM/d) between treatments. However DMI/kg W 0,75 tended to be 3,5 % higher (p=0.09) in the B diet than in the G diet. Due to increasing energy intake, the gain of the bulls was higher with the G diet than with WHV diet (p<0.05). BHV and B diets did not differ from the G diet in gain. Treatments had no significant effect on the dressing proportion of carcass conformation. The carcass fat score of WHV bulls was 29 % lower (p<0.05) than that of the G bulls, but BHV and B diets did not differ from the G diet in carcass fatness. The feed conversion rate (DM intake/kg carcass gain) of the bulls was better (p<0.001) and protein conversion (g AAT/kg carcass gain) tended to be better (p=0.07) with the G diet than with the WHV diet. BHV and B diets did not differ from the G diet in any feed conversion parameters. It can be concluded that replacing moderate digestible grass silage with whole-crop wheat and hairy vetch mixture silage decreased the carcass gain of growing dairy bulls due to lower energy intake and poorer feed conversion. Instead, replacing moderate digestible grass silage with whole-crop barley or with whole-crop barley and hairy vetch mixture silage resulted in no differences in the performance or carcass characteristics parameters of growing dairy bulls

Kokoviljasäilörehu sopii lihanautojen karkearehuksi

Kokoviljasäilörehu voidaan korjata nurmirehun korjuukalustolla ja varastoida nurmisäilörehun tavoin. Siten nautakarjatilan rehunkorjuussa tarvitaan parhaimmillaan vain yksi korjuukoneketju. Nurmisäilörehun korjuu- ja säilöntämenetelmien käyttö viljan korjuuseen tulee huomattavasti edullisemmaksi kuin jyväsadon leikkuupuinti ja sadon varastointi kuivaamallavo

Fungisidien vaikutus ohran kasvuaikaan Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla

Viljelykasvien sienitautien torjuntaan käytettävät fungisidit kykenevät estämään taudinaiheuttajasienien ja niiden itiöiden kasvua kasvien lehdillä. Terveinä säilyvät lehdet kykenevät siten jatkamaan häiriöttä yhteyttämistä, mikä lisää odotettavissa olevan jyväsadon määrää ja parantaa sen laatua. Fungisidien käytöstä saattaa olla tavoiteltujen etujen lisäksi myös haittaa, jos viljan kasvua jatketaan olosuhteissa, joissa viljanviljelyn menestymistä rajoittaa kasvukauden pituus. Jyväsadon korjuun myöhästyminen lisää tuolloin helposti sadon korjuu- ja säilöntäkustannuksia ja saattaa vähentää sadon määrää ja heikentää sen laatua. Haitat ovat ilmeisimpiä, jos kasvukausi on sateinen ja viileä. Fungisidien käyttö saattaa kuitenkin antaa juuri sellaisina kasvukausina parhaan vasteen. MTT:n Siikajoen toimipiste (N 64°68’ E 25°09’) sijaitsee viljanviljelyyn soveltuvan viljelyalueen pohjoisrajan tuntumassa. Koepaikka todettiin sijaintinsa takia sopivaksi ympäristöksi pystyttää kenttäkoe, jossa selvitetään viljan sienitautien torjunta-aineiden käytöstä syntyvien etujen ja haittojen merkitys käytännön viljelyssä. Kenttäkoe perustettiin toukokuussa 2010 ja se toistettiin vuosina 2011-2013. Koekasvina oli ohra ja sen kolme eri lajiketta, joista Voitto, oli aikainen lajike, Einar sitä myöhäisempi ja Edel vielä Einaria myöhäisempi lajike. Koekasvustot käsiteltiin kolmella eri fungisidilla, jotka olivat Tilt, Acanto Prima, ja Acanton ja Prolinen sekoitus. Kaksi ensimmäistä torjuntakäsittelyä olivat mukana kaikissa kokeissa, mutta jälkimmäinen käsittely oli mukana vain vuosina 2012 ja 2013. Koemalli oli satunnaistettu osaruutukoe, jossa pääruututekijä oli ohralajike, ja osaruututekijänä oli torjunta-aineen käyttö ja niiden lisäksi kontrollikäsittely ilman torjunta-ainelisäystä. Koekäsittelyt toistettiin neljä kertaa. Kasvustot lannoituksessa käytettiin sekä mineraalilannoitteita että naudan lietelantaa. Lannoituksessa tavoiteltu typpitaso oli noin 90 kg ha-1. Kasvustot käsitelttiin sekä rikkakasvien että lakoontumisen torjumiseksi. Jyväsato korjattiin kasvuston keltatuleentumiseen jälkeen puimalla. Kylvöstä puintiin tarvitun kasvukauden pituuden määrittämiseen käytettiin tehoisan lämpösumman kertymää. Acanto Prima -käsittely lisäsi kylvöstä puintiin kertyneen lämpösumman määrää 19 °C ja Tilt-käsittely vastaavasti 13 °C. Kasvuun kuluneiden lisäpäivien määrä oli noin kaksi vuorokautta, mistä aiheutuva haitta on käytännössä vähäinen. Acanto+Prolinen seos antoi koekäsittelynä samansuuntaisen tuloksen. Ohralajikkeen ja torjunta-ainekäsittelyn välillä oli yhdysvaikutus, sillä torjunta-aineen käyttö pidensi voimakkaimmin kokeen aikaisimman lajikkeen kasvuaikaa. Tähän tarkasteluun ei voitu käyttää vuoden 2012 tuloksia, koska tuolloin elokuun alkuun sattunut erittäin runsas vuorokauden kestänyt sade aiheutti koekasvustojen kattavan lakoontumisen, mikä puolestaan esti kasvustojen luontaisen tuleentumisen. Acanto Prima-, Tilt- ja Acanto+Proline -käsittelyt lisäsivät jyväsadon määrää 420 kg ha-1 (7 %), 330 kg ha-1 (5 %) ja 450 kg ha-1 (7 %). Lisäsadon laskennallinen tuotto riitti kaikilla torjunta-ainekäsittelyillä kattaamaan niiden käytöstä aiheutuneet kustannukset. Torjunta-aineiden käyttö paransi lisäksi myös jyväsadon laatua.Fungicides are able to inhibit growth of fungi or fungal spores on the leaves of cereal plants. Healthy leaves are prerequisite for photosynthesis and thus production of a higher grain yield. However, the desired effect may also have harmful consequences if the length of growth season is limiting natural maturation of the cereal crop. Delayed harvest under such conditions may easily increase harvesting and conservation costs and in addition decline quantity and quality of the harvested grain crop. The risk is highest when growth season is rainy and cool. Unfortunately, in such conditions the obtainable response to fungicide treatment is most evident. MTT’s research station at Siikajoki (N 64°68’ E 25°09’) lies close to the Northern border of the area suitable for cereal crop cultivation. MTT Siikajoki research station was seen as an appropriate site for arranging field experiment to investigate if fungicide treatment for barley could have more negative than positive effects. The field experiment was established for the first time in May 2010. It was repeated annually in years 2011- 2013 by sowing three spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars (Voitto, Einar and Edel). Voitto was early- maturing, Einar medium-maturing and Edel late-maturing cultivar. The crop was treated with three different fungicides which were Tilt, Acanto Prima and mixture of Acanto and Proline. Tilt and Acanto treatments were repeated in all years but mixture of Acanto and Proline treatment was repeated only twice in years 2012 and 2013. The experiment was a randomized split-plot design with the cultivars as main plots and the fungicides and control treatment with no fungicide as subplots. Four replicates were used for each factor. The crop was fertilized using both mineral fertilizers and animal manure. The targeted nitrogen fertilization was 90 kg ha-1. The crop was treated with herbicide and growth regulator. The grain crop was combine-harvested at full maturity stage of the growth. The number of growing days needed from sowing to harvest of the mature grain crop was evaluated by effective temperature sum (ETS = accumulated sum of daily mean temperatures exceeding °C 5). Acanto Prima treatment increased the ETS needed from sowing to harvest by 19.3 d.d. and Tilt treatment by 13.1 d.d. Since increased ETS could be reached already within two days, it can be concluded, that fungicide treatment did not cause increased risk for successive barley cultivation. Acanto + Proline treatment gave similar results as the other two fungicides. There was an interaction between cultivar and fungicide treatment since fungicides delayed the most remarkably maturing of Voitto crop. The results from experiment in 2012 could not be used in this context since a very strong rainfall in the beginning of August lodged crop so extensively that natural maturing process of grain crop could not proceed. Acanto Prima, Tilt and Acanto + Proline mixture increased grain yield by 420 kg ha-1 (7 %), 330 kg ha-1 (5 %), 450 kg ha-1 (7 %), respectively. Observed grain yield gains were high enough to cover fungicide treatment costs. In addition, all fungicide treatments improved grain crop quality by raising volume weight of the harvested grain yield

Vältä kokoviljasäilörehun pyöröpaalausta

Kokoviljasäilörehun pyöröpaalaus aiheuttaa niin suuren jyvähävikin, että sadon korjaamiseen kannattaa käyttää muita menetelmiä. Näin pyöröpaalauksen työteknisistä eduista huolimatta. Kokoviljasäilörehu voidaan periaatteessa korjata samoilla korjuukoneilla kuin nurmisäilörehu, mutta korjuun seurauksena voi kuitenkin syntyä suuria jyvähävikkejä.vo