The ability of two chemicals, Benlate and BAS352-04F, to control chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae) disease of field beans (Vicia faba) was examined in five small-plot or field experiments. The incidence of the fungus was never such as to reach the aggressive stage naturally, although severe infection was induced temporarily in certain experiments by enclosing the plots in plastic-covered boxes after inoculation with fungus. Increasing the recommended dose of BAS352-04F but not Benlate resulted in improved control and applying either chemical twice was preferable to a single application. Control by BAS352-04F was sometimes better than Benlate in the early days after infection whereas the reverse was true later. These results are in keeping with their roles as contact, and systemic and contact fungicides respectively. In these small experiments, with low levels of infection, the use of fungicides did not result in significant increases in yield or yield components.

Thirty-two weaned Kenana bull calves were adequately fed to maximize growth and serially slaughtered at predetermined live weights of approximately 100, 200, 300 and 400 kg. Eight animals were slaughtered at each slaughter point and slaughter data collected. Dressing-out percentage increased with the increase in slaughter weight but the increase was more marked between the first and the second slaughter points than between subsequent slaughter points. Kenana cattle compare favourably with Hereford, Hereford × Friesian, Friesian and Shorthorn × Ayrshire steers in dressing-out percentage; and are, apparently, superior to Jersey steers in that trait.

The model, y = axb, in the logarithmic form, was used to describe patterns of proportional weight increase of body components throughout the experimental period and in three arbitrary phases. The patterns of development which were demonstrated by some body components throughout the test period were not necessarily re-exhibited, in all stages, when development was considered in phases. These body components changed their patterns of proportional increase in weight as development proceeded.

When I joined the Editorial Board of the Journal in 1949, I regarded the other five members as at least personal acquaintances and some as long-standing friends and colleagues. Indeed, apart from T. H. Middleton, I had known personally all the Editors from the founders in 1905, while my position on the staff of the School of Agriculture at Cambridge since 1931 and my close working association with R. H. Biffen and H. Hunter meant that the Journal occupied a special position in day-to-day life. Service on the Board since 1949 has provided the opportunity for what in effect seems a continuous association over a large part of the Journal's life commencing as it did with R. H. Biffen, A. D. Hall and T. B. Wood, who was the first Chief Editor, succeeded in turn by R. H. Biffen, F. H. A. Marshall, H. Hunter and J. Hammond, all of whom were my senior colleagues.

Effects of 0, 1·7, 3·3 or 5·0 kg/day of a protected soya bean – tallow supplement, incorporated into a hay:concentrate diet (25:75) and fed ad libitumto Friesian cows, on intake and digestion of fatty acids, on output of milk fatty acids and on blood lipoprotein composition were measured.

Most of the increased intake of fatty acids, approximately 1 kg/day, was accounted for by increased intakes of C16:0, C18:0 and C18:1. At low intakes, amounts of all fatty acids apparently digested were linearly related to their respective intakes. At high intakes of C16 and C18 acids, curvilinear relationships were established.

Yield of total milk fat was related positively to dietary intakes of total fatty acid and carbohydrate and negatively to live-weight change. Yields of short and intermediate chain acids in milk, synthesized within the mammary gland, were negatively correlated and yields of C18 fatty acids positively correlated with respective dietary intakes of these acids. Decreased proportions of C4–16 and increased proportions of C18:0 and C18:1 fatty acids in milk were associated with increased protected tallow in the diet. Yields of C16:1 and C18:1 were positively related to corresponding outputs of saturated acids and negatively to weeks of lactation. The proportion of C18:1 in milk was positively related to the corresponding proportion of C18:0.

The increased intake of fatty acids resulted in increased concentrations of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL, d < 1·019 g/ml), low density lipoproteins (LDL1 + LDL2, 1·019 < d < 1·06 g/ml), high density lipoproteins (d > 1·060 g/ml) and serum free fatty acids. Most of the increase in low density lipoproteins was accounted for by a very large increase in LDL1, whose proportion increased from 17 to 75% (2 to 22% of total serum lipid). The proportion of triglyceride in the combined low density lipoprotein fraction decreased from 11 to 2% whilst phospholipids increased from 29 to 36%. These changes were attributed to the increased proportion of LDL1 present.

The proportions of VLDL and LDL triglyceride taken up by the mammary gland averaged 0·79 and 0·34 respectively. The proportion of VLDL+LDL triglyceride taken up by the gland decreased with increased amounts of fatty acid digested. Yields of C18 fatty acids in milk tended to be positively related to apparent uptakes of VLDL triglyceride and to VLDL C18 fatty acids, but negatively related to apparent uptakes of LDL triglycerides and LDL C18 fatty acids. It is suggested that the increased LDL1 resulted from the utilization of VLDL triglyceride for milk fat formation.

Protected lipid feeding increased the proportion of C14:0, C16:0 C16:1 and C18:1 and decreased the proportions of C14:1 and C18:0 fatty acids in jugular serum triglycerides. Similar changes were observed in jugular VLDL triglycerides. Differences in the compositions of VLDL and LDL triglycerides across the mammary gland were observed and attributed either to selective uptake or to interchange of fatty acids between triglycerides and free fatty acids.

This paper describes statistical methods for analysing data arising from distinctness, uniformity and stability variety trials carried out to fulfil Statutory Regulations in the United Kingdom. Both univariate and multivariate methods are considered. It is shown that multivariate techniques can separate some variety pairs which could not be separated using univariate methods. A computer system for routinely analysing these trials is also described.

Thirty-two weaned Kenana bull calves were adequately fed to maximize growth and serially slaughtered at predetermined live weights of 100, 200, 300 and 400 kg. Eight animals were slaughtered at each slaughter point and the left side of each carcass dissected into individual muscles, bone, fat, tendons and fascia. Individual muscles were grouped into nine muscle groups and the distribution of intermuscular fat was studied in four anatomical regions. Huxley's (1932) allometric equation was used to describe the development of carcass tissues.

Relative to overall carcass side growth, fat was the fastest developing tissue, followed by muscle and bone tissues in descending order. The muscles of neck + thorax and abdominal muscles exhibited the fastest rate of growth relative to overall total side muscle growth, and the distal muscles of both limbs exhibited the slowest rate of relative growth. Relative to the rate of side fat deposition throughout the experiment, subcutaneous fat was deposited at a faster rate than intermuscular or kidney + channel fat. Intermuscular fat was deposited at different rates in the anatomical regions of the carcass.

The development of muscle groups was further examined in three arbitrary phases of the test period and revealed significant differences between phases in the rate at which each muscle group developed. Similar changes in the intensity of the rate at which fat was deposited in the subcutaneous region and between the muscles of the carcass or sites were evident.

Kenana cattle compare favourably with foreign dairy and beef breeds of cattle in muscle:bone ratio. Further studies are needed to evaluate the efficiency of meat production from Kenana cattle under different systems of management.

As reported in Part 1 (Gaili & Nour, 1980) a study was conducted to investigate the development of body components in Kenana cattle and to evaluate the potential of the breed for meat production. This paper is an account of the data which were obtained on the development of carcass tissues.

The effect of different amounts of NaOH sprayed on whole grain on their digestibility by cattle was examined for barley, oats, maize and wheat. For all cereals the digestibility of fibre, dry matter and organic matter (OM) increased with increasing application of NaOH solution but responses were small at the highest levels used. The digestibility of OM was increased from 61 to 83% for barley, from 61 to 76% for oats, from 83 to 89% for maize and from 79 to 92% for wheat. The optimum amount of NaOH required differed between cereals, being about 3·0–3·5% for barley, 4·5–5·0% for oats, and 2·5–3·0% for maize and wheats. With oats, wheat and maize the digestibility was apparently increased more with NaOH treatment than by physical processing.

The utilization by sheep of dietary N provided in high protein, high water content fresh herbages (Ruanui perennial ryegrass, Tama Westerwolds ryegrass, Pitau white clover, and Fakir giant sainfoin at two stages of maturity) was studied at two levels of intake (maintenance and 1·5 maintenance). Feed was provided by constant feeder.

Apparent digestibility of N was similar for all herbages (ca. 85%) except sainfoin which, particularly at a late stage of maturity, was lower (70–80%). A small loss of nitrogen across the stomachs occurred with clover (1–3 g/day) and Tama ryegrass at the higher feeding level (2 g/day), but no loss was observed with the other diets. The apparent digestibility of N and of non-ammonia N (NAN) in the intestines was lower for sainfoin, and estimated true digestibility was also lower. Amino acid N contributed less to the NAN reaching the duodenum on the sainfoin diets than on the grass and clover diets.

N retention was negative at the lower level of feeding for ryegrass and clover diets. It was greatest for the sainfoin diets at similar N intakes, so that efficiency of retention of apparently digested N was also greatest for sainfoin.

The size of the urea pool, the plasma urea concentration and the urea irreversible loss, using [14C]urea, did not differ significantly between diets at similar N intake. Urea irreversible loss exceeded urinary urea excretion by 35—50% on all but the late-maturity sainfoin diet, where urea irreversible loss was more than double the urinary urea output. These data indicate dietary differences in the extent of degradation of urea on recycling to the gastro-intestinal tract. Urea clearance across the kidney was also lowest for sainfoin.

Data are compared in a simple model which illustrates the importance of variable clearance of urea across the kidney and the gut wall and the need for knowledge of factors which control this.

Weekly blood samples were collected from 42 Friesian cows between 5 weeks before and 10 weeks after calving, and analysed for serum cholesterol, albumin, total protein, glutamate-dehydrogenase, sorbitol-dehydrogenase and ornithine-carbamyl-transferase and blood glucose.

Cholesterol concentrations increased 2½-fold during the first 8 weeks of lactation. There was also a transient decrease in glucose concentration at calving, but there was no relationship between conception rate and the concentrations of these two constituents.

Albumin concentrations decreased at calving in some but not all cows and remained low for up to 2 weeks. Average concentrations of albumin determined by two analytical methods, a HABA dye-binding and a single radial diffusion assay method, were significantly lower (P < 0·05) between 0 and 2 weeks post-partum in eight cows which required four or more services than in 32 cows which conceived after fewer services. Similarly, the average decrease in concentration over calving was greater in those cows which conceived only after four or more services (P < 0·01).

Globulin concentrations (total protein minus albumin) decreased during the 5 weeks before, and increased in the 3 weeks following calving. The net change over calving was significantly related to conception rate, and the albumin/globulin ratio was reduced (P < 0·001) in the eight cows requiring four or more services.

Activities of all three enzymes doubled after calving, but there was no correlation between these increases and the decreases in albumin concentration, suggesting that, if liver insufficiency is a factor, it is probably due to malfunction rather than tissue damage.

Three grasses and two legumes, each at two stages of maturity, were fed to three fistulated sheep and samples of the feed, and faeces and contents of the reticulo-rumen, abomasum and ileum were collected for the determination of particle size by wet sieving. Modulus of fineness (MF) was calculated for all particulate matter that failed to pass a 0·15 mm screen. Resistance to flow from the rumen of feed particles of different sizes was also calculated.

The mean MF of the reticulo-rumen contents was 2·56 compared with 5·72 for the feed. Material leaving the rumen and found in the abomasum had a MF of 1·67 and subsequent changes were small and not significant; ileum 1·63, faeces 1·80. Particles greater than 1·18 mm passed out of the reticulo-rumen although the quantity was small (1–3%). The resistance to flow of particles of different sizes from the reticulo-rumen was closely related to particle size with no difference between grasses and legumes or between young and mature forages.

It was concluded that in modelling the flow of particles from the reticulo-rumen a non-compartmentalized approach should be adopted, but if a simple two-compartment model is required then a critical sieve size of about 1·18 mm may be useful, since less than 5% of the particulate material is retained on this sieve size.

Height variability in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars permits growing them in systematic mixed stands and such mixtures are reported to lead to better utilization of solar radiation. Studies on such wheat mixtures are limited. A field experiment was therefore conducted for two wheat seasons (1974–5 and 1975–6) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, to compare the yield potentials of the mixed and pure stands of three spring wheat cultivars varying in plant height. Two kinds of canopy stands, namely, pyramidal and columnar, were created by making appropriate row arrangements of the cultivars while seeding. Mixed stands gave significantly higher straw yields and the grain yield was also significantly higher than the highest yielding cultivar in its pure stand at a high rate of nitrogen application (120 kg N/ha).

The first lactation records of 684 Sahiwal, 157 Brown Swiss × Sahiwal (BS × S) and 255 Friesian × Sahiwal (F × S) constituted the data for this study. The 300-day yield was estimated from part lactation yields of 13, 17, 21, 26 and 30 weeks post partum by four methods, namely, regression, ratio, gamma and inverse polynomial functions. The duration of the part record and the method of estimation were evaluated for their reliability in estimating the 300-day yield and sire evaluation.

The correlations between part records and 300-day yield ranged from 0·76 to 0·95, thecorrelations being higher in F × S. The error, absolute error and standard deviation of error weresmaller for ratio and regression methods than for the gamma and inverse polynomial functions. The part records of 30 weeks or more were found to be necessary to estimate 300-day yield within 15% of the actual yield with regression or ratio methods.

The rank correlations and product moment correlations between sire indices calculated with part records and 300-day yield were found to be highly significant. The part records of 17 weeks or more extended by ratio or regression could be used to evaluate sires as accurately as with 300-day yield by increasing the progeny group size by 7–10% in Sahiwal and by about 20% in F × S. Theloss of efficiency in sire evaluation amounted to about 10–15% with part records of 17 weeks or more compared with 300-day yield.

A long-term manurial experiment on potatoes was initiated in 1970 on the acidic brown hill soil of Simla to study the effects of fertilizers supplying per hectare: 44 kg P (P44); 44 kg P and 125 K (P44K125) and 88 kg P with 125 kg (P88K125) and of farmyard manure (FYM) supplying 44 kg P/ha applied annually and biennially. The potatoes gave large responses to all the manures. The annual or biennial effects of FYM measured in years of application were as great as that of P and K fertilizer in increasing tuber yield and K uptake by tubers but FYM increased P uptake more than fertilizers did. FYM applied each year gave largest uptake of P. P88 treatment was not better than P44 treatment. The residual effects of the manures on yield were measured in years when the treatments were not applied; the residual effects of FYM were higher than those of fertilizers. Mean residual effects of the treatments on P uptake were 46% and 51% of their annual or biennial effects respectively. About 90% of P added to the soil was not taken up by the crops and was present in the forms of aluminium-bound P, iron-bound P and calcium-bound P in this descending order. The residual effects of the treatments on K uptake were about 84% of their annual or biennial effects. About 60% of K applied to the soil was not taken up by the crops and most was present in exchangeable form. Annual applications of all the manures were better than their biennial applications indicating that residual effects built up from three applications over 6 years were too small to sustain yields.

Soil analyses made 6 years after the start of the experiment showed that FYM was a better source of P than single superphosphate in increasing soil available P. FYM also increased soil exchangeable K more than the K fertilizer did. The highest increase in available P and K in soil was from annual applications of manures. Biennial applications of P as superphosphate or FYM resulted in P accumulating in the soil, while biennial K fertilizer dressings did not increase exchangeable K; however, biennial FYM did increase exchangeable K. Using P alone reduced soil available K. FYM increased pH, organic carbon and total N in soils while P and K fertilizer increased only the pH.

Analysis of seasonal growth and fruit production of American Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) with different combinations of leaf shapes and colours was made in 1970. Plants with the ‘okra’ leaf shape (LOLO) had a higher photosynthetic rate, number of green bolls, number of ‘squares’ (flowering buds) and flowers, dry weight of fruiting parts, fruiting index, harvest index (ratio of seed cotton to total biological yield), yield and lint percentage than plants with normal leaves.

There were no significant differences in specific leaf weight (SLW) due to leaf shape. There was no significant correlation between SLW and photosynthetic rates among biotypes. There were no significant differences in different characteristics measured regarding leaf colours.

Indian Chokla and Malpura and their crosses with exotic Rambouillet and pure bred Rambouillet sheep were exposed to increasing temperature (20, 25, 30, 35 and 42 °C), or to 40 °C for 6 ha day for about a week, or suddenly to 40·4 or 44·2 °C to study their relative heat tolerance. Pronounced increase in the frequency of respiration under hot conditions together with increase in rectal temperature (under 44·2 °C) of Rambouillet contrasted with the physiological responses of the native breeds of sheep. Under thermal stress the Chokla and Malpura consumed more feed than the Rambouillet or the half breds. The Rambouillet × Chokla or the Rambouillet × Malpurahalf breds were apparently more heat tolerant than the Rambouillet sheep.

The nature of genetic variation in an intervarietal cross (J 34 × SS 167) of upland cotton was determined for seed cotton yield, number of bolls, weight of 100 seeds, ginning outturn and halo length. The materials consisted of six generations (P1, P2, F1, B1, B2 and F2) which were raised at two locations. In those cases where the additivedominance model was inadequate, models with different numbers of parameters were applied along with the six-parameter model. A consistent and high negative correlation was observed between [h] and [l], and [i] and [l] in all the models at two locations. Correlation between [d] and [i] was also consistent and negative, but its magnitude was low. Dominance and dominance × dominance, and additive × additive and dominance × dominance components were found to be antagonistic in effects to each other and the interactions observed were of duplicate type, i.e. [h] and [l] had opposite signs.

The dominance component fluctuated greatly over models for a particular character at a particular location. Contrary to this the additive component was observed to be important and consistent over models at a particular location for a particular character. Also this was the only significant component involved in the inheritance of all the characters at both the locations. The expression of different components of variation was highly influenced by the environmental effects.

Seventy-five maiden Border Leicester × Merino ewes were divided into three treatment groups of 25: 1N, injected with PMSG on day 13 of a natural oestrous cycle in autumn (May); 1S, injected with PMSG on withdrawal of a progestagen sponge inserted for 13 days in autumn; 2S, treated as 1S but in spring (November). Five ewes in each treatment received each of 0, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 i.u. PMSG (dose, D). From 16 h after PMSG injection until oestrus, detected by entire rams, all ewes were bled from the jugular vein at 4 h intervals and plasma oestradiol-17β (E2) concentrations measured by radioimmunoassay. Time to onset of oestrus was recorded. Samples for estimation of plasma progesterone were taken on days 6 and 13 of the subsequent oestrous cycle. The ewes were laparotomized on day 5 or 6 of the cycle and all active corpora lutea, cystic follicles > 8 mm (most of which were luteinized) and follicles > 5 mm in diameter were recorded; the sum of these was taken as the total follicular stimulation at oestrus.

There were significant (P < 0·001) linear dose-responses to PMSG in terms of corpora lutea, total follicular development, progesterone, and E2. The covariance of E2 on total follicles was significant (P < 0·001). Progesterone concentrations were more highly correlated with the sum of corpora lutea and cystic follicles than with corporalutea alone (τ = 0·80 ν 0·73, both with 73 D.F.; P < 0·001). The time to onset of oestrus for treatment 1N ewes was highly variable due to the relative asynchrony of the time of PMSG injection but, when treatments 1S and 2S were analysed together, there were significant linear (P < 0·001) and quadratic (P < 0·01) effects of dose of PMSG, resulting in a decrease of 14 h in time to onset between the 0 and 1600 i.u. treatments. The covariance with E2 was significant (P < 0·05).

There was no difference between treatments in total follicular development but the number of corpora lutea was less (P < 0·05) in treatment 1N ewes than in the two sponge treatments (1S and 2S), again reflecting the asynchrony of treatment. There was no difference in progesterone concentration between treatments, but peak E2 was significantly less (P < 0·05) in treatment 2S (spring) than in 1N and 1S (autumn). Since there was no difference in the numbers of follicles which developed it appears that follicles in spring-treated ewes secreted oestrogen less intensively than in autumn. The lower oestrogen concentration was associated with a longer interval to onset of oestrus; linear regressions of time on dose PMSG (reciprocal) for treatments 1S and 2S separately had a common slope but significantly different intercepts (P < 0·01), so that oestrus was delayed by a mean of 6·4 h at all PMSG doses in spring compared with autumn.

Of the 73 ewes alive at lambing, 48 (66%) lambed producing 69 lambs. There was no significant effect of treatment on percentage of ewes which lambed but the lambing rate of those ewes with large numbers of ovulations (7–14) tended to be lower than that of the remainder (P ≃ 0·1). Of the nine ewes in this category, only four lambed and failure to lamb was significantly associated with excessively high plasma E2 (P < 0·05).

Fresh and wilted silages (dry matter 169 and 359 g/kg; pH 4·00 and 5·09; lactic acid 165 and 34 g/kg D.M., respectively) were made from ryegrass and used in intake and metabolism experiments with cattle and sheep. Complete ruminant diet (CRD) was used as a control.

Voluntary dry-matter intake of the silages by wether sheep was not significantly different (70·7 and 69·1 g/kg W0·75 for fresh and wilted material, respectively) but was significantly higher (P < 0·001) for CRD (97·9 g/kg W0·76). With rumen-fistulated steers the voluntary intakes of dry matter for the fresh and wilted silages and CRD were 117·1, 105·7 and 130·4 g/kg W0·76, respectively, and were not significantly different. The digestibility of dry matter was significantly higher (P < 0·01) for the fresh and wilted silages (0·751 and 0·698, respectively) than for the CRD (0·608). When incubated in nylon bags in the rumen the silages rapidly lost nitrogen and only 0·2 and 0·3 of nitrogen of the fresh and wilted materials, respectively, remained after 1 h. Between 0·4 and 0·5 of the residual nitrogen in the silages was subsequently lost over a period of 24 h. The loss of the nitrogen of the CRD was much slower and 0·3 of the nitrogen remained after 24 h. The rate of loss of digestible cell wall constituents was similar for the fresh and wilted silages but was slower for the CRD. The silages gave similar rumen fermentation patterns (pH, total volatile fatty acids, acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric and hexanoic acids and ammonia concentrations) during the period following their consumption.

The palatability of the fresh and wilted silages, measured with rumen-fistulated sheep, was less than that of the CRD and a ruminal effect on intake was observed in the case of the silages.

The high intake of the fresh silage is noteworthy, as it casts grave doubt on the widely held view that fermentation acids, particularly lactate, are pre-eminent in governing the voluntary intakes of silages.

From the rapid loss of nitrogen from the silages in nylon bags in the rumen it is concluded that, to increase the utilization of nitrogen, it would be advantageous to reduce protein breakdown in the silo and to supplement silage with a readily available energy source.

A method for the measurement of the net rate of synthesis of rumen microbes, entailing separate infusions of 35S-sulphate into the blood and rumen, is described and compared with estimates derived using digesta flow markers. Measurements were made on seven occasions with sheep and on eight occasions with cattle given chopped hay or pelleted hay diets at intervals of 60 or 90 min. Additional measurements were made on two sheep and two cattle given lucerne hay at intervals of 6 or 12 h. Estimates of microbial synthesis using the proposed method for animals fed at intervals of 60 or 90 min were 0·95–1·23 (mean 1·05) that derived using flow markers. For animals fed at intervals of 6 or 12 h the ratio was more variable, 0·91–1·35 (mean 1·17). The agreement between methods tended to be poor in animals with a low rate of irreversible loss of serum sulphate. The proposed method can be accomplished with a low analytical load, and appears to have potential for application in animals fitted with rumen fistulae only, and fed at infrequent intervals.

Field experiments were made for 3 years (1975–8) on soils deficient in both available N and S to test the effects of these nutrients applied as fertilizers on yellow mustard (Brassica campestris L.) and mustard (Brassica juncea L.).

In all the 3 years, grain yield of both mustard crops significantly increased with increased N rates. The grain response to added S was not consistently significant, however; maximum yields were obtained only when high rates of N and S were applied together. N and S fertilizer significantly increased the concentration and uptake (kg/ha) of N and S in grain, and there was a significant positive N × S interaction. Adequate N/S ratio appears to be 7·5:1 or less for the grain of these mustard crops. Protein content of grain improved markedly with applied N and S. Application of 60 kg S/ha increased the oil content by 12% in yellow mustard and 16% in mustard. Although N had little effect on percentage oil, total oil production increased many fold. The combined application of N and S had the largest effect in determining the concentration and uptake of N and S, and on protein and oil content in grain. This study indicated that additions of 60 kg S/ha to mustard crops receiving adequate fertilizer N are likely to improve their yield and quality.