Two commercial eucalypt sites were selected in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, to evaluate productivity and soil chemical and physical properties before clearcutting, and the effect of harvesting and soil tillage system on productivity of second rotation. At site 1, the Eucalyptus grandis plantation was 7 years old, on its first rotation, and reached 21 m mean height, 13.6 cm diameter breast height (dbh), an estimated commercial volume of 479 m3 ha-1 and a mean annual increment of 68 m3 ha-1 year-1. At site 2, E. grandis, also on its first rotation, but 12-years-old, had 25 m mean height, dbh 16 cm, an estimated volume of 662 m3 ha-1 and a mean annual increment of 55 m3 ha-1 year-1. Litter collected at site 2 before harvesting totalled 19.8 t ha-1, and after harvesting and new planting, litter left on surface totalled 2.64 t ha-1. At site 1, 31.3 t ha-1 of litter accumulated before harvesting and 7.6 t ha-1 after new planting. Soils of both sites are classified as Dark Red Latosol (Oxisol), having loam texture at site 2 and clay texture at site 1. Clay content difference between sites was around 10 %, available soil water content between sites varied less than 0.02 cm3 cm-3. Penetrometer soil resistance measured before harvesting and after new planting was less than 21 kg cm-2, at 50 cm besides tree row, on both sites. Greater soil resistance measured at tree row was found at 15-cm depth, in both sites. Soil of site 1 has greater CEC, base saturation and organic matter content compared to site 2. One year after planting eucalypts growing on soil tilled with subsoiler with one shrank were smaller at site 2.
Tag: nutrient availability
Effects of close-up dietary energy level and supplementing rumen-protected lysine on energy metabolites and milk production in transition cows
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary energy levels and rumen-protected lysine supplementation on serum free fatty acid levels, β-hydroxybutyrate levels, dry matter (DM) intake, and milk production and composition. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with 2 dietary energy levels [high net energy for lactation (NEL) = 1.53 Mcal/kg of DM vs. low NEL = 1.37 Mcal/kg of DM; HE vs. LE) fed either with rumen-protected lysine (bypass lysine; 40 g/cow per day) or without rumen-protected lysine (control). Sixty-eight third-lactation Holstein dairy cows entering their fourth lactation were randomly allocated to 4 treatments groups: HE with bypass lysine, HE without bypass lysine, LE with bypass lysine, and LE without bypass lysine. Groups were balanced based upon their expected calving date, previous milk yields, and body condition score. All cows were fed the same diet (NEL = 1.34 Mcal/kg of DM) during the dry period prior to the trial. Rumen-protected lysine was top-dressed on a total mixed ration to deliver 9.68 g/d of metabolizable lysine to pre- and postpartum cows. After calving, all cows received the same TMR (1.69 Mcal/kg of DM). Blood samples were collected at −21, −14, −7, 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 d relative to calving, and free fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were measured. Amount of feed offered and orts were collected and measured for individual cows 4 d/wk. Milk samples were collected once per week following calving, and milk composition was analyzed. Feeding high NEL to close-up cows decreased the concentrations of free fatty acid and β-hydroxybutyrate in prepartum cows but not in postpartum cows. Addition of rumen-protected lysine increased postpartum DM intake, and decreased serum free fatty acid and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. Neither energy nor rumen-protected lysine supplementation nor their interaction affected milk yield or fat or lactose yields. However, cows in the group receiving HE with bypass lysine tended to produce more milk compared with other groups and had a lower blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentration postpartum. These results indicate that feeding a high-energy diet together with rumen-protected lysine improved DM intake and lowered serum free fatty acid and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in transition cows.
Soil fertility enhancement by planted tree-fallow species in the humid lowlands of Cameroon
Four shrub/tree species, Alchornea cordifolia, Pennisetum purpureum, Chromolaena odorata, and Calliandra calothyrsus were evaluated for their potential contribution to soil fertility restoration after two years fallow. Standing biomass, root distribution, nutrient content in the biomass, decomposition and nutrient release patterns, and association with mycorrhizae were the evaluation parameters. Alchornea and Pennisetum produced thehighest above-ground biomass, 66 t and 54 t/ha respectively. Pennisetum had more than 19 t/ha of root, 92% of which was in the 20 cm top soil. Alchornea had 74% of it roots in this soil layer, mostly as coarse roots while Calliandra had a deeper root system. Alchornea fallow accumulated more N and Ca, and Pennisetum fallow, more K than others, and mycorrhizae were mostly associated with Alchornea roots. The ranking of the different species for the decomposition rate was: Chromolaena > Pennisetum > Calliandra = Alchornea. Also release of nutrients during decomposition followed the order K > N > Ca. Alchornea and Pennisetum could be recommended as green manure species especially when high quantities of material are needed for weed or erosion control. Calliandra and Chromolaena, because of the flush of nutrient during early mass, loss can be used as mulch when the crop demand of nutrient is high. Alchornea decomposed slowly and therefore could be used to improve Chromolaena mulch, thus contributing to the build up of soil organic N and providing both short- and long-term nutrient release.