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Surplus wastewater accumulates in winter and requires a discharging solution. In our study we examined the effects of using treated wastewater (TWW) as supplemental pasture irrigation in winter. To test the effect of TWW irrigation on the vegetation and soil, 10 grazing prevention exclosures were established at Ramat‐Hanadiv Park, Israel, with half of them irrigated with TWW. Soil and vegetation were sampled during 2 years of irrigation and 1 year after cessation of irrigation. Vegetation composition, species richness, and productivity were sampled at the peak of the growing season and various indices of herbage quality were measured. Our results show that irrigation with wastewater increased herbage production by an average of 38% and total pasture protein production by 9% relative to the control subplots. Conversely, TWW irrigation decreased plant protein content while increasing herbage fibre content and lowering its digestibility. Over a period of 2 years, species richness decreased in the irrigated subplots. Most of the soil indices examined were not affected by irrigation, but in the irrigation subplots, sodium values and the sodium adsorption‐ratio were higher than in areas without irrigation. Additional resources in winter enabled the plants to grow rapidly and increased interplant competition. Changes in vegetation composition were revealed through functional group reshuffling and species richness decline. The results of our study show that wastewater irrigation causes an increase in productivity but a decrease in forage quality. At the pastoral system level, the significant increase in productivity leads to increased availability of protein and herbage for animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and reliable predictions of biomass yield are important for decision-making in pasture management including fertilization, pest control, irrigation, grazing, and mowing. The possibilities for monitoring pasture growth and developing prediction models have greatly been expanded by advances in machine learning (ML) using optical sensing data. To facilitate the development of prediction models, an understanding of how ML techniques affect performance is needed. Therefore, this review examines the adoption of ML-based optical sensing for predicting the biomass yield of managed grasslands. We carried out a systematic search for English-language journal articles published between 2015-01-01 and 2022-10-26. Three coders screened 593 unique records of which 91 were forwarded to the full-text assessment. Forty-three studies were eligible for inclusion. We determined the adoption of techniques for collecting input data, preprocessing, and training prediction models, and evaluating their performance. The results show (1) a broad array of vegetation indices and spectral bands obtained from various optical sensors, (2) an emphasis focus on feature selection to cope with high-dimensional sensor data, (3) a low reporting rate of unitless performance metrics other than R2, (4) higher variability of R2 for models trained on sensor data of larger distance from the pasture sward, and (5) the need for greater comparability of study designs and results. We submit recommendations for future research and enhanced reporting that can help reduce barriers to the integration of evidence from studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of the concentration and stoichiometry of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) of herbage in different land-use types (forest, farmland, and beach), the nutrient utilization characteristics and rule of herbage were discussed. The results showed that the carbon concentration and C/N ratio of the whole plant in the beach were significantly higher than those in the forest, while the nitrogen concentration and N/P ratio were significantly lower than those in the forest. In the comparison of carbon concentration, the difference in the aboveground structure was the most significant, and the carbon concentration of herbage on the beach was 6.5% higher than that of the forest. The difference in nitrogen concentration was very significant in both aboveground and underground structures of the herbage, and the nitrogen concentration of the beach was 66.2% and 58.0% lower than that of the forest, respectively. The N/P ratio in the herbage of the three land-use types was less than 14, which was limited by nitrogen. However, the difference in the N/P ratio between the aboveground and the underground of the beach was the smallest, which was only 0.68. But the difference in the farmland and the beach was relatively high, which was 6.5 and 1.7 respectively. Among the three land-use types, the concentrations of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus aboveground and underground were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.05). And there were also correlations among different elements, that was, there was a very significant negative correlation between aboveground carbon concentration and underground nitrogen or phosphorus concentration (p < 0.01), and a significant positive correlation between aboveground nitrogen concentration and underground carbon or phosphorus concentration (p < 0.05). The difference and correlation of nutrients among the three land-use types of herbage showed that the absorption of nutrients by herbage of the three land-use types was balanced, and the nutrient utilization was mainly limited by nitrogen, which was the main factor controlling vegetation productivity in this basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate dry matter intake (DMI) measurement method is of great importance for determining the performance of dairy cows. While n-alkane technique is commonly used to estimate the DMI of ruminants, the protocols used to measure alkanes are complex, time consuming and low throughput. Herein we present a simplified and miniaturised protocol that combines a smaller sample matrix (60 mg of faeces or herbage), a shorter (3 h) saponification step and a direct purification of the crude extract by filtration through silica powder or mixing with silica powder prior to GC-FID analysis. In addition to a much higher throughput compared with the existing methods, by skipping the commercial SPE columns and reducing the organic solvent volume, our miniaturised protocol should significantly reduce the sample processing cost and is thus suitable for alkane determination for large-scale experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rangelands or grasslands are the main nutrition sources of grazing ruminants. They are mainly consisted of legumes, grasses and other species. Although feeding and grazing behaviors of grazing animals in grasslands are complicated, estimating herbage intake (HI) of grazing animals is significant for both producers and range management. For this purpose, there are some physical, chemical, empirical and technological methods are used for estimating HI of grazing animals. Direct, clipping or herbage disappearance method based on herbage differences before and after grazing, marker techniques, some empirical equations based on organic matter digestibility or requirements of animals, faecal near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (FNIRS) and remote sensing-global positioning system technologies are the methods used for estimation of individual or herd HI. All methods have different features, deficiencies and conveniences. In this paper it was aimed to discuss about advantages, disadvantages, patterns of usage and potentials of these methods. In conclusion, technological methods such as remote sensing and FNIRS have the potential for displacing other methods in near future.

Context. Rumen biohydrogenation is an important way to produce conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), especially the rumenic acid isomer. However, CLAis principally synthesised endogenously in lactating mammals by delta 9-desaturase in breast tissue. Aims. The aim of the study was to evaluate milk fatty acid profile, rumen microbial population and animal performance in response to diets containing sunflower oil either supplemented with or without flavonoids and essential oils from Piper betle L. powder (PP) in dairy goats. Method. Twelve multiparous Saanen goats (42 1.00 kg; mean s.d.) were randomly assigned to two treatment groups in an experiment that lasted for 6 weeks. The two experimental diets formulated as total mixed ration were: control (CTH) diet (containing 0% PP) and DPB diet (CTH diet containing 1.3% PP on a dry-matter basis). Key results. Inclusion of flavonoids and essential oils from PP in the diet (DPB) did not affect dry-matter intake but resulted in a greater milk yield and altered the composition of milk. Compared with the control diet (CTH), the DPB diet decreased the saturated fatty acid concentration and increased the unsaturated fatty acid concentration in milk. Inclusion of PP decreased the C18:0 production (P < 0.05), resulting in higher C18:1 trans11 and C18:2 cis9 trans11 (P < 0.05) concentrations. Overall, DPB diet increased the total CLA by 1.5-fold, from 1.77 to 2.62 g/100 g fatty acid. The desaturase rate (except desaturase for carbon 18, P< 0.05), and atherogenic and thrombogenic indices were not affected by inclusion of PP in the DPB diet. Moreover, the DPB diet escalated total volatile fatty acid production and altered the volatile fatty acid profile. Compared with goats fed with CTH diet, PP supplementation increased the presence of ruminal Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens by ~5-fold, but the presence of B. proteoclasticus decreased to about 1/11 of the control. Conclusions. The use of sunflower oil at 17.6 g/kg diet and inclusion of a practical dose of flavonoids and essential oils from Piper betle L. leaves in the diet of dairy goats can be an efficient method to improve milk yield and milk composition, including increasing the CLA concentration of milk. Implications. These results constitute an alternative strategy to improve milk quality, without negatively affecting animal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circadian rhythm alters forage chemical composition by balancing processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration. Timing of moving animals to a new paddock in a rotationally stocked system may take advantage of potential improvements in forage quality. The objective of this study was to collate available peer-reviewed papers aiming at comparing the forage quality and grazing dairy cattle performance when moved to a new paddock either in the morning (a.m.) or afternoon (p.m.). Twenty-four studies were gathered in total, and the number of observations per variable varied according to its availability within the studies. Among forage chemical composition parameters, contents of dry matter (DM), total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC), soluble carbohydrates (SC), starch, neutral-detergent fiber (NDF), aciddetergent fiber (ADF), acid-detergent lignin (ADL), ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP), and digestibility were assessed. The animal performance parameters included dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield (MY), energy-corrected milk yield (ECM), milk fat (MF) and milk protein (MP) contents, fat yield (FY), and protein yield (PY). A meta-analysis was performed according to a random effects model weighted by inverse variance (Comprehensive Meta-Analysis V3.3.070). Means, standard deviations or p-values, and number of observations were used to compute the effect sizes. Heterogeneity between observed effect sizes was examined with the Cochran’s Q test and the I2 statistic. The standardized mean difference was reported with its 95% confidence interval (CI), where positive values indicate an increment of p.m. compared with a.m., and negative values indicate a reduction. Statistical differences were declared significant at P ≤ 0.05, and trends were declared at P ≤ 0.10. Forage sampled in the p.m. had greater (P < 0.001) contents of DM, TNC, SC, starch, and digestibility by 19.8, 16.3, 21.3, 12.1, and 1.0%, while NDF (P < 0.001), ADF (P < 0.001), ADL (P < 0.001), and CP (P < 0.01) were decreased by 1.8, 2.4, 2.4, and 1.7% relative to a.m. forage, respectively (Table 1). Content of EE was not influenced (P > 0.05) by time. The ECM was 3.4% greater (P < 0.001) and the PY tended to be 3.7% greater (P = 0.07) for dairy cows moved in the p.m. compared with those moved in the a.m (Table 2). Dry matter intake, MY, MF, MP, and FY were not affected (P > 0.05) by time. Results indicate that even with considerable improvements of forage nutritive value in the afternoon, the benefits in terms of animal performance are small. Future studies assessing potential benefits of moving animals to a new paddock during the afternoon, should consider statistical power analysis and sample size calculation when designing the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological environment of remote grassland has become a problem in many countries due to mining, tourism, grazing, and other human activities. In this study, a total of 15 pairs of soil-herbage samples were collected in the northeast of the Tibet Plateau to study the relationship between physicochemical properties and content of trace elements in soils at different elevation, and to examine the accumulation and fractionation of heavy metals in soil-herbage systems. In addition, the ecological risk of the subalpine grassland was also assessed. The average concentrations of Hg, As, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Mn in soil were higher than their background values of Gansu soil, but the average concentrations of these heavy metals in herbage satisfied Hygienical Standard for Feeds. The speciation analysis of heavy metals in soil indicated that the exchangeable content of heavy metal was very low, except Pb, Cd, and Mn. There was a linear relationship between pH, CaCO3, total phosphorus (TP), organic matter (OM), concentrations of Hg, As, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Mn in soils, dry weight of herbage, and elevation, while there was a quadratic curve trend between Cu, Cd in soils, and elevation. The results of risk assessment showed that there was no obvious ecological risk in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate dry matter intake (DMI) measurement method is of great importance for determining the performance of dairy cows. While n-alkane technique is commonly used to estimate the DMI of ruminants, the protocols used to measure alkanes are complex, time consuming and low throughput. Herein we present a simplified and miniaturised protocol that combines a smaller sample matrix (60 mg of faeces or herbage), a shorter (3 h) saponification step and a direct purification of the crude extract by filtration through silica powder or mixing with silica powder prior to GC-FID analysis. In addition to a much higher throughput compared with the existing methods, by skipping the commercial SPE columns and reducing the organic solvent volume, our miniaturised protocol should significantly reduce the sample processing cost and is thus suitable for alkane determination for large-scale experiments.

The potassium sensitive magnesium absorption through the rumen wall may be influenced by additional dietary properties, such as diet type, forage type or forage to concentrate ratio. These properties are likely associated to rumen passage kinetics modified by dietary fibre content. The study aimed to assess the effects of rumen passage kinetics on apparent Mg absorption and retention in lactating dairy cows fed modified levels of fibre. Six lactating Red-Holstein and Holstein cows, including four fitted with ruminal cannulas were randomly assigned to a 3 × 3 cross-over design. The experimental diets consisted of early harvested low NDF (341 g NDF/kg DM) and late harvested high NDF (572 g NDF/kg DM) grass silage (80% DM) and of concentrates (20% of DM). As the low-fibre diet was excessive in protein, a third high-fibre diet was formulated to be balanced in digestible protein with the low-fibre diet to avoid any eventual confounding effects of NDF and protein excess. All diets were formulated to contain iso-Ca, -P, -Mg, -K and -Na. Passage kinetics of solid and liquid phase of rumen digesta were evaluated using ruminal marker disappearance profiles. Cows fed the low-fibre diet had compared to the other diets, an up to 40% lower solid and 26% lower liquid phase volume of rumen digesta and a 10% numerically higher fractional rumen liquid passage rate. Rumen pH lost 0.6 units and Mg concentration in the rumen liquid phase tripled when cows were fed the low-fibre diet. Faecal Mg excretion was up to 14% higher in cows fed the low-fibre diet and Mg absorbability was 12% compared to up to 19% in other diets. Urinary Mg excretion in cows fed the low-fibre diet was half of the ones in the other treatments, but Mg retention was not affected. Dietary protein excess neither affected rumen passage kinetics nor Mg absorption and retention. Absorption of Mg was correlated with rumen liquid volume which both decreased with decreasing daily NDF intake (NDFi, 11.8 ± 2.4 l/kg NDFi). Consequently, daily Mg absorption decreased by 1.32 ± 0.28 g/kg decreasing NDFi. To conclude, in addition to the known antagonistic effect of dietary K, the present data indicate that Mg absorption was dependent from NDFi which modified rumen liquid volume, but was independent of dietary protein excess likely associated to low NDF herbages.

Results of researches about mineral fertilizers and inoculation influence on the growth and plants development of Common, Transcaucasian and Hungarian sainfoin for growing on green feed are shown. The experimental part of the work was done during 2016-2018. Experimental plots were laid on typical low-humus coarsesilty, light-loamy in terms of mechanical composition chernozems, soils characterized by a high content of gross and mobile forms of nutrients. Weather conditions during the years of research were not sufficiently favorable for perennial grasses growing, only 2016 had precipitation close to normal, but increased temperature of the air did not contribute to the high yield of perennial grasses. It was found that the high levels of organic raw substances in the feed during the period of full flowering has herbages of Hungarian sainfoin variety Smaragd, and the content of free-nitrogen extract substances (FNE) had the lowest indicators. With mineral fertilizers introduction was obtained a tendency of increasing organic substances content in the feed, regardless to sainfoin type. Mineral elements content in the feed significantly depended on sainfoin type and mineral fertilizers application. With introduction of mineral fertilizers, the content of all certain mineral elements increased regardless to the type of sainfoin.

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was conducted to investigate chemical composition, mineral contents and in vitro gas-methane productions of post-harvest herbage of different Jerusalem artichoke genotypes. In total, 16 different Jerusalem artichoke genotypes were used in the present experiments. Plants were harvested during the tuber harvests. Present findings revealed that Jerusalem artichoke herbage could offer a good source of fibre and minerals for ruminants. Crude protein contents varied between 5.82-13.36%, ether extract between 0.65-2.42%, condensed tannins between 0.95-1.67%, acid detergent fibre (ADF) between 31.67-45.71%, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) between 38.77-53.27% and crude ash between 9.89-16.85%. Total gas and methane productions respectively varied between 26.06-46.12 ml and 3.81-8.96 ml, metabolizable energy (ME) between 5.82-8.52 MJ/kg dry matter (DM), organic matter digestibility (OMD) between 43.30-60.20% and net energy for lactation (NEL) between 2.65-4.93 MJ/kg DM. Macro- and microelements contents of the majority of the Jerusalem artichoke genotypes were greater than legumes and Gramineae forage species. It was concluded that Jerusalem artichoke herbage had a rich nutritional composition and could offer a good source of roughage for ruminants especially in dry and lactation periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypericum L. belongs to the Clusiaceae (= Guttiferae) family. There are 98 species or 119 taxa of Hypericum, 49 of which are endemic in Turkey Flora, and the endemism ratio is 41.18%. Some of these species are used in various diseases externally/internally in the form of infusion, decoction, oleate or ointment in traditional treatment in Turkey. H. heteropyhllum is an endemic species that grows in arid, stony or rocky calcareous areas. In our study, the average plant height and number of branches were determined as 52.48±10.65 cm and 7.85±3.01, respectively in full flowering stage. The average length and width of the oval shaped seeds was 2.3220±0.1524 mm and 0.7933±0.0755 mm, respectively. Seeds of the plant is very small and average seed weight of 1000 seeds is 0.75975±0.0300 g. The highest fresh herb weight (587±251.91 g/plant) was obtained from plants collected at full flowering. The wide variation was observed especially in plant height and number of main branches in the measurements made on plants in the natural area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sida hermaphrodita as a crop plant could be used as raw material for the production of forage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the overall nutritional value of fresh and ensiled biomass of Sida hermaphrodita, harvested in the bud formation stage. The chemical and amino acid composition, fatty acid profile, concentrations of minerals and polyphenols of herbage and silage were determined. Additionally fermentation products were assessed in silage. Herbage contained crude protein (CP) of 182 g kg-1 dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of 375 g kg-1 DM and lignin content in NDF (L/NDF) was 8.88. Nitrogen fractions changed as a result of ensiling (P<0.010), non-protein nitrogen (NPN) from 274 g kg-1 total nitrogen (TN) in herbage to 683 g kg-1 TN in silage, and neutral detergent-insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) from 74.6 g kg-1 TN in herbage to 79.5 g kg-1 TN in silage. Silage was characterized by intensive lactic fermentation (114 g kg-1 DM) and pH of 4.30. It contained CP of 176 g kg-1 DM, NDF of 378 g kg-1 DM, and L/NDF (11.3) was higher than in the herbage. The CP of Sida hermaphrodita silage had a high content of essential amino acids (AAs) Lys, Thr, Val, Leu and Phe (3.98, 4.19, 4.55, 7.14 and 4.00 g 100 g-1 CP, respectively). Sida hermaphrodita silage was characterized by the highest K (6.262 g kg-1DM) content among macronutrients, and the highest content of Fe (40.88 mg kg-1 DM) and Mn (33.01 mg kg-1 DM) among micronutrients. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) predominated in the ether extract herbage and silage, and their proportion was three-fold and seven-fold higher than the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), respectively. Herbage had high quercetin content (652 µg g-1 DM), which decreased by 45% during the ensiling. Changes in the chemical composition suggest that this crop plant can be preserved by ensiling. The results of this study indicate that Sida hermaphrodita can be used for producing high-quality silage for ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed was the establishment of the genus Brachiaria in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The experiment was conducted from April to June 2016, as a randomized-block experimental design with five treatments and four replicates. Treatments were represented by five Brachiaria cultivars, namely, Marandu, Paiaguás, Piatã, Xaraés and Basilisk. Morphogenetic (leaf appearance rate, leaf elongation rate e stem elongation rate) and structural characteristics (final leaf length, tiller population density e number of leaves per tiller, forage mass, leaf blade mass, stem mass, senescent material mass and leaf:stem ratio) of the forage cultivars were evaluated. Canopy height fitted a linear regression model (P<0,05), with estimated daily increases of 0.50, 0.53, 0.53, 0.54 and 0.56 cm for cvs Basilisk, Marandu, Paiaguás, Piatã and Xaraés, respectively. The number of live leaves in cvs Basilisk and Paiaguás increased linearly (p < 0.05), by 4.3 and 2.8 leaves per tiller, respectively, during the 60-day period. The recommended height at which the growth of Brachiaria cultivars should be interrupted is upon reaching 25 to 35 cm. In the soil-climatic conditions of the Brazilian semi-arid region, the Brachiaria cultivars Basilisk, Marandu, Paiaguás, Piatã and Xaraés are established at 75 days after sowing, which is the recommended time for performing the first harvest or lenient grazing to stimulate tillering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed was the establishment of the genus Brachiaria in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The experiment was conducted from April to June 2016, as a randomized-block experimental design with five treatments and four replicates. Treatments were represented by five Brachiaria cultivars, namely, Marandu, Paiaguás, Piatã, Xaraés and Basilisk. Morphogenetic (leaf appearance rate, leaf elongation rate e stem elongation rate) and structural characteristics (final leaf length, tiller population density e number of leaves per tiller, forage mass, leaf blade mass, stem mass, senescent material mass and leaf:stem ratio) of the forage cultivars were evaluated. Canopy height fitted a linear regression model (P

A study was conducted to observe the influence of year, season, month, breed, age and sex on epidemiology of strongyle nematodes in different sheep breeds managed at organised farms in arid and semi-arid Rajasthan by evaluating 14,030 fresh faecal samples (from April 2016 to March 2019). The overall incidence of strongyle worms was significantly higher (74.1%) in semi-arid as compared to 27.4% in arid region. Among breeds, it varied from 25.6% in Magra to 74.8% in Malpura sheep. The effect of year was significant on regional as well breed-wise incidence. Season had significant effect on regional incidence with maximum incidence during monsoon. A significant breed variation in overall and seasonal incidence was found only in arid region. Irrespective of sheep breed, significantly higher incidence of strongyle worms was observed in adult sheep in both the regions. Male had significantly higher incidence of strongyle worms in both the regions. The effect of agro-climatic region was significant on overall intensity of strongyle worms with mean FECs of 117.8±3.7 epg in arid and 1098.9±45.2 epg in semi-arid region. Breed-wise, the effect of year on intensity of strongyle nematodes was significant in arid region only. Seasonal intensity was significantly higher during monsoon season in both the agro-climatic regions and in all the breeds. Effect of age on overall intensity of infection was also significant in both the regions with higher mean FECs in adult animals as compared to young ones. In both the regions, males possessed higher FECs as compared to females. On coproculture, Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus sp and Oesophagostomum sp were recovered with maximum (71.1±2.1%) mean annual proportion of H. contortus. Availability of infective larvae of GI nematodes on herbage was observed during monsoon and extended up to post-monsoon season in semi-arid region. Comparatively higher herbage infectivity was not noticed in semi-arid farm with a peak of 2,100.0±97.9 L3/kg dry matter of herbage in September. The study suggest a marked influence of agro-climatic region on epidemiology and dynamics of strongyle nematodes in sheep flocks and on pasture. The breed variation was evident only in arid conditions. Further, the magnitude of monthly intensity of strongyle infection in arid region suggested anthelmintics intervention through targeted selective approach instead of strategic en-mass drench.

Jerusalem artichoke is a staple for the raw material base of healthy food, beverages, feed, medicine, and fuel, in addition to being the source of its herbage and tubers. The choice of conditions for cultivating a variety depends on the purpose or direction for the crop and the products obtained from it. This research involved laboratory and on-farm studies of 16 Jerusalem artichoke varieties of different maturity groups cultivated on sod-podzolic sandy loam soils to determine their suitability for further use in feed production. The list of varieties in question is presented in this work. The gross yield of tubers obtained from varieties with early leaf wilting was 33.1–51.1 t/ha, whereas that from varieties with late leaf wilting was 14.4–43.9 t/ha. The total yield of Jerusalem artichoke raw biomass was 36.8–98.1 t/ha. Moreover, early varieties had a dominant mass of tubers in the total feed value structure (68%), whereas herbage mass (59%) prevailed in the total feed value structure of varieties with late leaf wilting. The highest total solids in tubers (25.0–26.4%) were found in varieties Korenevskiy, Novost VIRa, and Blank Brekos; whereas high inulin content was found in varieties Dieticheskiy, Kaluzhskiy, Korenevskiy, Nakhodka, Novost VIRa, and Blank Brekos. The aggregate feed value amounted to 37.0–103.4 thousand MJ/ha of metabolized energy; this exceeded energy production costs on properly selected varieties by two- to three-fold. The data obtained can be useful for growers in the introduction and evaluation of Jerusalem artichoke varieties to be cultivated for further usage and processing, including fodder purposes.

The study was carried out at the Experimental field of Agricultural Faculty, Gorontalo State University from the rainy season (November 2018 - May 2019) to dry season (June - October 2019). The examined variety was dwarf-odot elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott). The first experiment was planting density. The planting density are high density (16 plants/m², 25 cm x 25 cm of spacing), medium density (8 plants/m², 50 cm x 25 cm), and low density (4 plants/m², 50 cm x 50 cm). The second experiment was the implementation of inorganic fertilizer, namely single inorganic and compound inorganic fertilizers. Plant spacing density from high density to low density has a significantly effected (P> 0.05) on the growth characters of dwarf-odot elephantgrass were tiller number (TN), mean tiller dry matter weight (MTW) and total dry matter weight (TDMW), herbage dry matter yield (HDMY) and percentage leaf blade (PLB). The level of inorganic fertilizer, both single and compound fertilizer, showed a very significantly effected (P> 0.01) on the character of growth and production of dwarf-odot elephantgrass biomass. Single NPK level yields higher than compound NPK level on plant height (PH) growth, TN, HDMY and PLB. PH, TN, HDMY and PLB increased with the increase in levels of fertilizer dosage in both single and compound fertilizers. Achievement of HDMY per one TN dwarf-odot elephantgrass were 50%, 60% and 69% for treatment without fertilizer, compound fertilizer and single fertilizer, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using two thinning intensity regimes on a dense 16-year-old black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) stand, two silvopastures were created: a medium density silvopasture (MDS) with 60% mean crown cover and a low density silvopasture (LDS) with 30% mean crown cover. An unthinned section of the stand with 90% mean crown cover was used as control (high density silvopasture: HDS). We measured the diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height of black locust trees, in all three silvopastures, in 2011 (year of thinning), 2012 and 2013. In addition, we determined the forage production (in 2012 and 2013) and nutritive value (in 2013) of herbaceous vegetation and black locust shoots in the understory. The mean DBH for HDS, MDS and LDS increased from 7.6, 9.5 and 10.9 cm in 2011 to 8.6, 10.7 and 12.1 cm in 2013, respectively. The mean tree height also increased in the same period from 7.9, 9.1 and 9.8 m to 8.9, 10.1 and 10.6 m, for HDS, MDS and LDS, respectively. The mean herbage production was similar (P > 0.05) among silvopastures, although there was a tendency to be higher in the MDS and LDS (1866 and 1957 kg DM/ha, respectively) compared to HDS (1682 kg DM/ha). Additionally, browse from black locust shoots increased forage in MDS and LDS by 751 and 1201 kg DM/ha, respectively. Black locust browse had a higher overall nutritive value than herbage across silvopastures and months. In terms of crude protein, the content in black locust browse was on average twice as high, across sites and years, as that of herbage (239.4 vs. 104.1 g/kg DM; P < 0.05). While neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber content of black locust browse were consistently lower (P < 0.05) than that of herbage, acid detergent lignin content of browse material was higher (P < 0.05) than that of herbage and averaged 94.7 and 75.4 g/kg DM, respectively. Overall, our results show that thinning resulted in higher values for both DBH and height of trees and increased forage in the understory by supplementing herbage with browse of high nutritive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbage production is regarded as having environment‐friendly credentials. However, as the ruminant production it supports is facing major challenges on sustainability, environmental footprint and human health concerns, EU herbage cultivar testing must contribute to the solutions. Before new cultivars can be sold in a member state (MS) and gain EU‐wide marketing, they must pass official tests to prove they are both novel (distinct, uniform and stable, DUS) with improved value for cultivation and use (VCU). Herbage species present specific challenges, as their allogamy imposes a wide within‐cultivar variation that adds complexity to DUS tests and their "value" is only realized in ruminant produce. Current VCU systems measure production, chemical composition and disease/stress tolerances, often on large numbers of candidate cultivars, but prohibitive labour costs and logistics mean that animal intake, ruminant output or environmental benefits cannot be measured directly. Furthermore, some candidate cultivars with proven superior VCU fail DUS even though the non‐distinct comparison is with a significantly lower performing registered cultivar. To resolve these problem cases, a "vmDUS" distinctness tool is proposed, which uses molecular markers but conforms to UPOV‐declared principles. A short overview of current grassland research shows smart proxy measures of animal value can easily and quickly be adopted into an integrated pan‐European (EU‐VCU) test network. The proposed EU‐VCU scheme will reallocate test resources to conduct these additional tests by placing MS in data sharing collaborations, while retaining their national listing authority. The benefits to all stakeholders from adopting these new testing procedures are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Prataculturae Sinica is the property of Acta Prataculturae Sinica Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was carried out to determine green, dry herbage yields and most suitable harvest period of sainfoin. Also, it was made in order to determine amount of nutrient matter and condensed tannin. Samples were collected from seven different trial fields in four different harvest periods (beginning of budding, 10% flowering, 50% flowering and seedpod) and four replications. There was no statistically significant difference between the average of the field at each harvest period (p=0.80). In terms of dry matter ratio, there was a statistically significant difference between harvesting periods from budding to seedpod period (p=0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in crude protein, NDF and ADF parameters depending on the progress of harvest period (p=0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in terms of metabolic energy (ME-3X) parameter depending on the progress of harvest period (p=0.001). At harvest periods, there was respectively 4.42%, 4.92%, 5.93%, 7.59% extractable condensed tannin values. There was a statistically significant difference between harvesting periods in terms of condensed tannin parameter (p=0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Grasslands / Forrajes Tropicales is the property of International Centre for Tropical Agriculture - CIAT and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Improvement in nutritive characteristics resulting from breeding perennial ryegrass (PRG) cultivars used in Australia from the 1970s to the present day was quantified in a grazed field experiment in south-western Victoria. The experiment was sown in May 2014 with measurements undertaken over 3 years. The experiment contained 36 PRG treatments (cultivar–endophyte combinations), which were replicated four times, with herbage nutritive characteristics measured at each grazing. The treatments differed in estimated metabolisable energy (ME), crude protein and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) concentrations at each harvest date. The decade of cultivar release had little effect on the ME or the NDF concentration of the cultivars released from 1970s onward. Early season diploids had a lower ME concentration than did later-maturing diploid cultivars (11.0 vs 11.4 MJ/kg DM), predominantly due to a lower ME concentration in late spring and early summer (10.3 vs 11.1 MJ/kg DM). The tetraploid cultivars had a higher ME concentration (11.8 vs 11.4 MJ/kg DM) and a lower NDF (480 vs 505 g/kg DM) concentration than did the mid- and late-season diploid cultivars. These differences are likely to be of economic importance at the farm level. The genetic gain in nutritive characteristics of perennial ryegrass cultivars has not been quantified in dairy environments in Victoria. This work aimed to quantify these improvements, but found that most cultivar differences could be attributed to cultivar maturity and ploidy factors, with little effect of the decade of release. These cultivar differences are likely to be of economic importance at the farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection from novel orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) germplasm sources resulted in the development of a late-maturing orchardgrass population. This population comprises 58 families that were evaluated with 5 commercial cultivars under frequent and infrequent harvest intervals at two Cache County, UT, USA field locations during 2013 and 2014. The objective of this study was to characterize the performance of individual families when compared to check cultivars Intensive and Latar. Across locations and harvest intervals, individual families produced greater herbage dry mass and nutritive value than the check cultivars did, i.e., up to 12% greater herbage dry mass than that of the highest check, Intensive, and 1% (neutral-detergent-fiber digestibility) to 14% (water soluble carbohydrates) greater forage quality than that of the corresponding highest check cultivar. However, there were substantial genotype-by-environment interactions between families and locations, but not harvest intervals. Because of this, results were analyzed across harvest intervals but within locations. Within each location, there were families that possessed similar or greater maturity, herbage dry mass, in vitro true digestibility, and neutral-detergent-fiber digestibility at both locations. Overall, on the basis of the performance of its component families, this late-maturing orchardgrass population exhibited potential for developing improved cultivars.

Selection from novel orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) germplasm sources resulted in the development of an early maturing orchardgrass population. Fifty-eight families comprise this population and were evaluated under frequent and infrequent harvest intervals at Lewiston and Millville, UT, field locations during 2013 and 2014. The objective of this study was to characterize the performance of the individual families when compared with the check cultivars ‘Icon’, ‘Paiute’, and ‘Potomac’. Across the locations and harvest intervals, individual families produced greater herbage dry mass and nutritive value than the check cultivars. Only for maturity (cv. Paiute) did one of the included commercial checks possess a trait value among the statistically greatest for all families. Twenty-two half-sib families were among the families with the statistically earliest maturity, and between three and eight families were among the families with the statistically greatest trait values for herbage dry mass, crude protein, in vitro true digestibility, neutral detergent fiber, and water soluble carbohydrate concentration. Overall, based on the performance of its component families, this early maturing orchardgrass population exhibited potential for developing improved cultivars for both frequent and infrequent harvest management.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a harvest date and cutting height on the concentrations of carotenoids and tocopherols in Virginia fanpetals (Sida hermaphrodita Rusby L.) herbage and silage. First-cut Virginia fanpetals herbage was harvested in the budding stage, on 11, 18 and 25 June 2017. Herbage was cut at 15, 25, 35 and 45 cm above the ground, after which it was chopped and ensiled in vacuum bags. The content of β-carotene and tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, δ-) was determined in samples of fresh herbage and silage. Herbage cut at a height of 45 cm and silage made from herbage cut at a height of 25 cm had a higher (P≤0,01) content of β-carotene (113.93 and 44.90 mg kg-1 DM, respectively), α-tocopherol (87.20 and 3.50 mg kg-1 DM, respectively) and total tocopherols, and a higher value of vitamin E equivalent (Vit. EEq) than the remaining samples. Herbage harvested on the last date (25 June) and silage made from herbage harvested on the first date (11 June) were characterized by higher concentrations of β-carotene (88.30 and 38.27 mg kg-1 DM, respectively) and a-tocopherol (70.91 and 2.82 mg kg-1 DM, respectively) compared with samples harvested at the remaining dates, but the noted differences were not statistically significant. Positive interactions were found between cutting height (45 cm) vs. β-carotene content and Vit. EEq value in herbage, and cutting height (25 cm) vs. α-tocopherol content and Vit. EEq value in silage. The content of β-carotene and total tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, δ) and a decrease in their concentrations during ensiling (in silage, average loss of β-carotene and a-tocopherol reached 56% and 96%, respectively) were comparable with the values reported for grasses and legumes. The results of this study indicate that Sida herbage and silage can be a valuable source of livestock feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of hydrobiology of water basins, a separate study of higher plants is required. Higher plants growing in water for aquatic organisms remain not only a habitat, a nutrient, a source of oxygen, but they are also important in the course of many biological processes in this environment. The vegetation of aquatic and coastal aquatic plants weakens the rate of flow of water, impedes the movement of silt and mineral particles, has anti-erosion significance and is used to strengthen the banks of water bodies. Among the higher aquatic and coastal aquatic plants, many species have diverse uses as a raw material for the pulp and paper, medical, perfume industries, building materials, fertilizers for the fields, food for people and pet food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of researches about mineral fertilizers and inoculation influence on root system development of Common, Transcaucasian and Hungarian sainfoin for growing on green feed are shown. One of the most important biological features of sainfoin is branching method of its root system. Unlike other leguminous perennial grasses, including alfalfa, along with formation of taproot root deeply penetrating into the soil, sainfoin, starting from a depth 40-100 cm, forms bulk of small side roots. Predominance of small roots in sainfoin, to the total number of them, in the first year of life for pure early-spring sowing period is 70-75% and 40-50% in the second year of life. The maximum number of small roots of sainfoin is formed during flowering phase, and somewhat decreases during the autumn period of its growing season. Experimental plots were laid on typical low-humus coarse-silty, light-loamy in terms of mechanical composition chernozems, soils characterized by a high content of gross and mobile forms of nutrients. Weather conditions during the years of research were not sufficiently favorable for perennial grasses growing, only 2016 had precipitation close to normal, but increased temperature of the air did not contribute to the high yield of perennial grasses. It was established that mass of root system increased from the first to the third years of growing, regardless of mineral fertilizing and specie of sainfoin. The largest mass of the root system with introduction N45Р60К90 had Common sainfoin - in the branching phase - 2.9; budding - 3.6; flowering - 5.3 t / ha of dry mass, other species of sainfoin had significantly lower values. Formation of sainfoin plants symbiotic apparatus essentially depends on both technological measures of growing, primarily on application of mineral fertilizers, and on biological characteristics of its growth and development. Without a doubt, these features also influenced on accumulation of symbiotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potassium sensitive magnesium absorption through the rumen wall may be influenced by additional dietary properties, such as diet type, forage type or forage to concentrate ratio. These properties are likely associated to rumen passage kinetics modified by dietary fibre content. The study aimed to assess the effects of rumen passage kinetics on apparent Mg absorption and retention in lactating dairy cows fed modified levels of fibre. Six lactating Red-Holstein and Holstein cows, including four fitted with ruminal cannulas were randomly assigned to a 3 × 3 cross-over design. The experimental diets consisted of early harvested low NDF (341 g NDF/kg DM) and late harvested high NDF (572 g NDF/kg DM) grass silage (80% DM) and of concentrates (20% of DM). As the low-fibre diet was excessive in protein, a third high-fibre diet was formulated to be balanced in digestible protein with the low-fibre diet to avoid any eventual confounding effects of NDF and protein excess. All diets were formulated to contain iso-Ca, -P, -Mg, -K and -Na. Passage kinetics of solid and liquid phase of rumen digesta were evaluated using ruminal marker disappearance profiles. Cows fed the low-fibre diet had compared to the other diets, an up to 40% lower solid and 26% lower liquid phase volume of rumen digesta and a 10% numerically higher fractional rumen liquid passage rate. Rumen pH lost 0.6 units and Mg concentration in the rumen liquid phase tripled when cows were fed the low-fibre diet. Faecal Mg excretion was up to 14% higher in cows fed the low-fibre diet and Mg absorbability was 12% compared to up to 19% in other diets. Urinary Mg excretion in cows fed the low-fibre diet was half of the ones in the other treatments, but Mg retention was not affected. Dietary protein excess neither affected rumen passage kinetics nor Mg absorption and retention. Absorption of Mg was correlated with rumen liquid volume which both decreased with decreasing daily NDF intake (NDFi, 11.8 ± 2.4 l/kg NDFi). Consequently, daily Mg absorption decreased by 1.32 ± 0.28 g/kg decreasing NDFi. To conclude, in addition to the known antagonistic effect of dietary K, the present data indicate that Mg absorption was dependent from NDFi which modified rumen liquid volume, but was independent of dietary protein excess likely associated to low NDF herbages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Cows were fed mountain grass-hay based diets differing in phenols and nitrogen. • Despite lower digestibilty, cows fed mountain grass hay had no impaired milk yield. • High-phenolic mountain hay may lower urinary N losses but also N utilization. • Feeding mountain hay enhances transfer of α-linolenic acid from feed to milk. Abstract In the present study, the influence of mountain hay diets with elevated proportions of herbs and phenolic contents on nitrogen utilization and milk fatty acid profile of dairy cows was investigated. Two grass hay-based diets, either low or high in nitrogen (N) content (GN−, GN+) and similar in fiber content and lignification, and two diets consisting of hays with high proportion of herbs (H) with either low or high phenolic (P) content (HP−, HP+) were fed iso-energetically and without concentrate. All diets contained a Lolium perenne dominated basal hay and experimental hay in proportions of 0.45:0.55, except for diet GN+ (0.80:0.20) with excessive N. Feed intake, milk yield and total amount of feces and urine were recorded and sampled from 24 multiparous mid-lactation cows (eight Brown Swiss, 16 Holstein) producing on average 33 kg/day of energy-corrected milk. The experiment was performed in three runs with two cows per diet. Data was analyzed by a general linear model considering diet and run as effects. Intake was highest in GN+ and HP+ and lower with GN− and HP−. No condensed tannins (CT) were detected in GN− and GN+. Intake of phenolic compounds (g/day per cow) was high in HP+ (402) lower with HP− (302) and lowest with GN− and GN+ (ca. 190). The intake of CT was higher in HP+ (115 g/day) compared to HP− (31 g/day). Yield of milk and energy-corrected milk as well as gross milk constituents were not affected by diet. Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility was higher for the grass-based diets (GN−, GN+) than for the diets with high herbal proportion (HP−, HP+). With GN+, absolute urinary N losses and those in proportion of total excreta N were higher than in the other diets and was lowest with HP+. Utilization of N was lower with GN+ and HP+ compared to HP−. The milk fat of cows fed HP+ had higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to that of GN−. The transfer rate of C18:3 n -3 from feed to milk was highest for the two herbal hay diets. The secretion of C18:1 t 11 in relation to the amount of C18:2 n -6 + C18:3 n -3 ingested was highest for diet HP−. In conclusion, mountain hay rich in herbs was found to be a dietary means to lower the N emission potential of the manure by lower urinary N excretion demonstrating that inclusion of herbs into grasslands may be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rangelands or grasslands are the main nutrition sources of grazing ruminants. They are mainly consisted of legumes, grasses and other species. Although feeding and grazing behaviors of grazing animals in grasslands are complicated, estimating herbage intake (HI) of grazing animals is significant for both producers and range management. For this purpose, there are some physical, chemical, empirical and technological methods are used for estimating HI of grazing animals. Direct, clipping or herbage disappearance method based on herbage differences before and after grazing, marker techniques, some empirical equations based on organic matter digestibility or requirements of animals, faecal near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (FNIRS) and remote sensing-global positioning system technologies are the methods used for estimation of individual or herd HI. All methods have different features, deficiencies and conveniences. In this paper it was aimed to discuss about advantages, disadvantages, patterns of usage and potentials of these methods. In conclusion, technological methods such as remote sensing and FNIRS have the potential for displacing other methods in near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melissa officinalis subsp. L. altissima (Sibthr. et Smith) Arcang which belongs to Lamiaceae (mint) family is a perennial, herbaceous and essential oil bearing plant. Its essential oil and extract could be used as antimicrobial and antioxidant agent. However, there is a limited number of reports on agronomy and chemical contents of Melissa officinalis subsp. L. altissima (Sibthr. et Smith) Arcang. In this study, effect of five different nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1) on some agronomic traits of Melissa officinalis subsp. L. altissima (Sibthr. et Smith) Arcang were examined in the conditions of Mediterranean climate in 2011 and 2012. All traits were significantly affected by the different nitrogen doses in the second year of the experiment. Higher nitrogen doses increased plant height, number of branches, fresh herbage yield, fresh leaf yield, dry herbage yield and dry leaf yield. On the other hand, the highest N dose (200 kg ha-1) did not give the highest values in terms of plant height, number of branches, fresh herbage yield and dry herbage yield. In the second year, 150 kg ha-1 nitrogen treatment was appeared to be better than other treatments.

ABSTRACT. A research on the effect of Stylosanthes guyanesis on production of Pannicum maximum, Staria splendid, Brachiaria decumbens, and Cynodon Plectostachyus have been conducted at UPTD (Unit Pelaksana Tugas Dinas) Saree, Aceh Besar. The grasses were planted mixed with stylosanthes guyanesis. The method used was completely randomized design (CRD) with factorial pattern of 4 x 4 with 4 replications. The first factor consist of 4 different kind of grasses e.g Pannicum maximum (R1) Staria splendid (R2), Brachiaria decumbens (R3) and Cynodon Plectostachyus (R4). The second factor was mixed palnting with stylosanthes guyanesis. Parameters studied were number of tiller, height of grass, and herbage yield. Data were analyzed by analyzed of variance and continued by least significant different test (LSD) (Steel and Torrie, 1983). The result showed that mixed cultivation of grass with leguminose (Stylosnthes guyanesis) was better on number tiller, height of grass, and herbage yield compared to unmixed planting grasses.

To estimate how native herbage of three different phenological periods modify rumen performance and milk quality of yak grazing alpine meadow. In this study, milk composition and the diversity of the rumen microbial community were measured in 12 full-grazing female yaks on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The nutrient composition of three phenological periods was determined: Vegetative stage (VS), bloom stage (BS), and senescent stage (SS). High-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was used. The results showed that crude protein (CP) content of herbage in BS was higher than that in vs. and SS (p < 0.05), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of herbage in SS was higher than that in vs. and BS (p < 0.05). Milk solids and fat contents were higher in the vs. and SS than in BS (p < 0.05). However, milk protein content was higher for the vs. and BS than those for SS (p < 0.05). The total volatile fatty acid (VFA), acetate, and propionate concentrations were higher in vs. and BS than in SS (p < 0.05). The community richness estimates (Chao1 estimator) of vs. were higher than that in BS and the SS (p < 0.05). The diversity indices (Shannon index) of the BS were higher than that vs. and the SS (p < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis between the milk composition, ruminal fermentation parameters, and the relative abundances of the rumen bacteria showed that milk protein content, total VFA, acetate, and propionate concentrations were positively correlated with the relative abundances of the genera Desulfovibrio, Prevotella_1, and Butyrivibrio_2 and was negatively correlated with Olsenella, Ruminococcaceae_UCG.010, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group abundances. Collectively, the results revealed that there were significant differences in nutrient composition of herbage, chemical composition of yak milk, and microbial diversity in rumen at different phenological stages. The correlations between ruminal fermentation parameters, chemical constituents of yak milk, and some genera of ruminal bacteria might be indicative that the ruminal fermentation parameters and chemical constituents of yak milk are strongly influenced by the rumen bacterial community composition.

Copyright of Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi Journal of Agricultural Sciences (YYU J Agr Sci) is the property of Yuzuncu Yil University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)