Monday, February 9, 2009

Utilization of pasture and forages by ruminants: A historical perspective

Pastures, forages, and grasslands dominate the landscape across the United States and support a large ruminant population that supplies the nation with value-added animal products. A historical perspective is presented of the innovations as they occurred in the Journal of Animal Science over the past 100 yr in pasture and forage research. Consideration was given to both animal and pasture perspectives. Areas given consideration from the animal perspective were schemes for feedstuff analysis, experimental design and statistics, forage sample preservation, indirect methods of measuring intake and digestion, TDN and energy, nutritive value, harvested forage, and innovations in the grazing environment. Areas given consideration from the forage perspective were a framework for forage-animal interface research, determining pasture yield, choice of stocking method, grazing management, partitioning of forage DM, near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy technology, antiquality constituents, and forage sample preservation. Finally, the importance was discussed of applying research results from the forage-animal interface to general ruminant nutrition research beyond the interface that is focused on altered diets.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Extraction of Polyphenols from Browses

Weigh ................. of dried ....................... plant material and place in a glass beaker of approximately ............................... capacity. To it is added .......................... ml of ................................ and the beaker is suspended in .......................... and subjected to ........................... treatment for .......................... at ................. temperature. Teh contents of the beaker are then transfered to centrifuge tubes and subjected to centrifugation for ................... and approximately ................... 3000 g at 4oC.

Advantages and Limitations of Near Infrared Reflectance Analysis over Proximate Analysis

Ste-by-Step Calculation of ADF

Step-by-Step Calculation of NDF

To determine the NDF, you weigh ................... g of sample into a ..................... and seal with .................... The sealed sample is put into ....................... and ........................ solution is added for digestion in the fibre analyser.

Fractions of Proximate Analysis

Components and Procedures for: Moisture, Ash, Crude Protein, Nitrogen-Free Extract etc.

Sampling Procedure for Grains

Reasons for Feed Identification

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Crude Fat (Ether Extract)

Feed Analysis

  • Physical Evaluation
  • Microscopic Examination
  • Chemical Analyses

Conversion of Feed Nutrients from As-Fed to Dry Matter Basis and Vice Versa

Principles of Proximate Nutrient Analysis

  • Dry Matter / Moisture
  • Ash (Total Inorganic Matter)
  • Crude Protein
  • Crude Fat (Ether Extract)
  • Carbohydrates Determination
  • Detergent Feed Analysis Scheme

Bomb Calorimetry

Chromatography

Respiratory Quotient

Colorimetry

Spectrophotometry

Protein and Amino Acid Analyses

Techniques Utilised in Feed Evaluation

Biological Analysis

Cannulation and Fistulation

Near Infrared Reflectance Technique

Feeding Trial, Digestion or Metabolism Trial

Methods Employed for Faecal Collection

  1. Indicator / Marker Method
  2. Metabolism / Digestion Stalls / Crates
  3. Faecal Collection Bags

Errors in Digestibility Trial

Factors Afecting Digestibility Within Species

In vitro Fermentation Trials and In sacco Degradability

Principles and Procedures of Quantitative Assay of Tannins

Nutrient Balance Trials: Nitrogen and Energy Balance Trials

Principles of Fatty Acid Characterisation

Principles and Procedures of Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Phosphstes and Chloride Determination

Determination of Urinary Total Nitrogen: Micro and Macro Kjeldahl Distillation Methods

Determination of Uread in Serum