Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2013
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
2012
Abstract
In order to detect the efficiency of the nitrogen (N2) fixation in clover-grass leys in northern climate conditions, we studied how soil compaction affects growth and N2 -fixation of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) under contrasting growth conditions. A pot experiment was carried out under controlled climatic conditions in the phytotron at Holt (Tromsø). Sandy soil was compacted to two levels, 60% and 85% of the standard degree of compactness (SDC). Four seedlings of white clover plants or timothy (Phleum pratense L.) were carefully planted in each pot. Timothy was used as reference plant. The plants were placed at 15 ºC for twelve weeks and subjected to 18 or 24 h daylight. The 15N isotope dilution method was used to assess N2 -fixation. Results suggest that 24 h daylight increased white clover biomass production as compared to 18 h daylight and favoured leaf and stolon production significantly more at 85% of SDC than at 60% of SDC. However, for white clover plants grown at 18 h day length higher compactness reduced the root development. On average, white clover derived 44-58% of its total N from N2 -fixation grown at 60% of SDC and 46-47% at 85% of SDC, regardless of light conditions. The N2 -fixation was somewhat higher at 24 h day length only under the low soil compaction level.
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No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Annika Höjer Steffen Adler Kjell Martinsson Søren K. Jensen Håvard Steinshamn Erling Thuen Anne-Maj GustavssonAbstract
Two feeding experiments were performed to study the effects of silage botanical composition, regrowth interval and α-tocopherol supplementation on the fatty acid (FA) composition and α-tocopherol, β-carotene and retinol concentrations of milk. In Exp. 1, 24 Swedish Red dairy cows were fed two- or three-cut red clover–grass silages (R2 and R3, respectively) or two-cut birdsfoot trefoil–grass silage (B2). In Exp. 2, 16 Norwegian Red dairy cows were fed short-term ley silage with red clover (S3) or long-term ley silage with white clover (L3) in combination with the supplementation of RRR-α-tocopheryl acetate (1600 mg/day). The FA proportions in the milk and the recoveries of C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3 were higher on the red clover diets R2 and S3 than on B2 and L3, respectively, and the n-6/n-3 FA ratio was also higher on the red clover diets. Shorter regrowth interval increased both the concentrations of FA in silage and the proportions of unsaturated FA in milk. Intakes of α-tocopherol, β-carotene and lutein were higher on B2 than on R2 due to higher silage intake on B2. However, the highest intake was seen on diet R3 due to the higher concentrations in the silage mixture. In Exp. 2, intakes of α-tocopherol, β-carotene and lutein were higher on L3. However, not all of these differences affected the milk, since the only significant differences related to silage diet in the two experiments were a higher milk α-tocopherol concentration on L3 than on S3 and a slightly lower β-carotene concentration on B2 than on R2. Supplementation with α-tocopherol increased milk α-tocopherol concentrations from 0.77 to 1.05 and from 1.07 to 1.24 mg/kg milk for S3 and L3, respectively, but did not affect milk FA composition. A higher concentration of antioxidants in the feed could be beneficial as a larger proportion of the animal's vitamin requirements would be met by the forage and the need for supplementation might decrease.
Authors
Annika Höjer Steffen Adler Stig Purup Hansen-Møller Jens Martinsson Kjell Håvard Steinshamn Anne-Maj GustavssonAbstract
Phytoestrogens are hormone-like substances in plants that can substantially influence human health (positively or negatively), and when fed to dairy cows are transferred to their milk. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of varying the botanical composition and regrowth interval of legume-grass silage on silage and phytoestrogen intake and milk phytoestrogen concentrations. In one experiment, 15 Swedish Red dairy cows were fed two- or three-cut red clover-grass silage (designated R2 and R3, respectively), or two-cut birdsfoot trefoil-grass silage (B2). In a second experiment, 16 Norwegian Red dairy cows were fed short-term ley silage with red clover (S3) or long-term ley silage with white clover (L3), and the effects of supplementation with α-tocopherol were also tested. There were high concentrations of formononetin and biochanin A in all silage mixtures with red clover (R2, R3, and S3). The milk concentration of equol was highest on diet R2 (1,494 μg/kg milk). Due to metabolism of biochanin A, genistein and prunetin, their concentrations in milk and the apparent recovery were low. Coumestrol was only detected in silage mixtures S3 and L3, and its milk concentration was low. Concentrations of secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol were higher in silage mixtures B2 and L3, those with legume species other than red clover and the highest grass proportions. B2 also resulted in higher enterolactone concentration than the other diets (226 μg/kg milk). Lengthening the regrowth interval increased the intake of secoisolariciresinol and decreased recovery of lignans. Feeding long-term ley silage resulted in higher lignan milk concentrations, but lower isoflavone milk concentrations than feeding short-term ley silage. The apparent recovery of all phytoestrogens except prunetin was highest on B2, indicating that condensed tannins (present in the birdsfoot trefoil) affect rumen metabolism. There was no effect of α-tocopherol supplementation on milk concentrations of any of the measured phytoestrogens. There were variations in milk concentrations of phytoestrogens, especially of equol, among cows, which could not be explained by variations in diet composition or phytoestrogen intake. The results show that milk phytoestrogen concentration is strongly influenced by silage botanical composition and management, but questions regarding phytoestrogen metabolism remain to be answered.
Abstract
Climate and weather variability affect agricultural crop production. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the variation in air pressure difference in the northern Atlantic Ocean. A positive NAO index with higher than normal air pressure near the Azores and lower than normal near Iceland results in warm and wet winters in northwestern Europe. A negative NAO index gives opposite climatic effects in this region. We determined the effect of the NAO on the risk of frost injury in winter wheat for conditions that represent northwestern Europe by applying the FROSTOL model to dynamically simulate hardening, de-hardening and other physiological processes determining frost tolerance and frost injury in winter wheat. This model uses soil surface temperature and snow cover as driving variables. In total, 53 winter seasons from 1957-58 to 2009-10 were simulated to account for historical trends and variations in the NAO. Monthly and seasonal mean NAO indices for all years within this period were categorised into positive, neutral or negative phases. The winter wheat simulations included 3 locations in Norway (Apelsvoll, ås and Kvithamar), 2 wheat frost tolerance types and 3 planting dates. The results showed that negative NAO phases, especially in February and March, increased the risk of frost injury in winter wheat. The risk of frost injury was higher at Apelsvoll and ås than at Kvithamar, especially in negative NAO phases or after early planting. The results obtained can be used to design crop management practices and systems with higher production security.
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of grazing on different pasture types and hay feeding on dairy goat milk fatty acid (FA) composition in early and late grazing season. Eighty goats were grouped according to genotype and lactation, and randomly divided into two groups (Early and Late) with approximately 8 weeks difference in mating and kidding dates. Goats within each of the two groups were further allocated to four forage treatment groups: R, forest rangeland pasture; C, cultivated pasture; HH, high quality hay; HL, low quality hay. The goats in Early were subjected to forage treatments in early grazing season, while the goats in Late received the forage treatments 8 weeks later. The most abundant FAs were C16:0 and C18:1c9 followed by C14:0 and C18:0. The milk proportion of the short and medium chained fatty acids (C6:0-C14:0) and C16:0 was higher (P < 0.0001) in Late than in Early grazing season, whilst the proportion of long chained FAs (C18:0, C18:1c9, C18:1t11, C18:2c9, 12, C18:2c9t11 and C18:3c9, 12, 15) were lower (P < 0.001). Goats grazing R yielded less milk (1.5 vs. 2.0 kg/d, P < 0.001) but with higher milk fat content (46 vs. 37 g/kg, P < 0.001) than C. The milk from goats on R had lower (P < 0.01) proportion of medium chained FAs (C10:0-C14:0) and C18:2c9, t11 but higher (P < 0.05) proportion of C18:0, C18:2c9,12 and C20:0 than C. Grazing compared to hay gave milk with lower proportion of medium chained FAs (C12:0-C14:0) and C16:0 but higher proportion of the long chained FAs C18:0, C18:1t11, C18:3c9, 12, C18:2c9, t11, C18:3c9, 12, 15, C20:0 than hay feeding. Higher supply of energy may explain higher proportion of de novo synthesised low and medium chained FA and lower proportion of long chained FA on C than on R, whilst higher supply of FA from mobilized fat may explain higher milk proportion of long chain FA in Early than in late season. Moreover, goats on pasture had likely higher supply of FA from dietary fat, which explain higher milk proportion of the long chained FA than on hay.
Abstract
The objective was to examine the effect of pasture type, and of grazing compared with hay feeding, on milk production and quality from dairy goats in early and late grazing season. Eighty goats were grouped according to genotype and lactation, and randomly divided into two groups with approximately 8 weeks difference in kidding date and start of feeding experiment, in Early and Late grazing season. At the start of the feeding experiment the goats were divided into 4 forage-treatment groups: R,forest rangeland pasture; C, cultivated pasture; HH, high quality hay; HL, low quality hay. Group R yielded less milk (1.5 vs. 2.0 kg d–1) and lower milk protein content (32 vs. 33 g kg–1), but higher milk fat (46 vs. 37 g kg–1) and DM content (120 vs. 113 g kg–1) than group C. Free fatty acids (FFA) content in milk was not affected by pasture type. The effects of pasture type on milk yield and milk constituents were similar in early and late grazing season. Grazing resulted in similar milk yield but higher milk fat (42 vs. 34 g kg–1), protein (32 vs. 30 g kg–1) and DM (117 vs. 106 g kg–1) content, and lower content of FFA (0.22 vs. 0.34 mEq L–1) than hay feeding
Authors
Margarita Novoa-Garrido Lise Aanensen Vibeke Lind Hans Jørgen S. Larsen Søren Krogh Jensen Espen Govasmark Håvard SteinshamnAbstract
No abstract has been registered