In sacco degradability, chemical and morphological composition of 15 varieties of European rice straw

Differences in Chemical Composition, Polyphenol Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, and In Vitro Rumen Fermentation among Sorghum Stalks

The aim of the study was to examine the differences in the chemical composition, polyphenol compounds, antioxidant activity, and in vitro rumen fermentation among six varieties of sorghum stalks. The results show that maoliangnuo 1 (M1) contained a higher (p < 0.05) level of dry matter, and jinzhong 405 (J4) contained a higher (p < 0.05) level of crude protein content. The concentrations of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and cellulose were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in stalk jinliangnuo (JN). The levels of chlorogenic acid, homoorientin, isovitexin, vitexin, rhoifolin, genistin, quercetin, apigenin, aloe emodin, emodin, and total polyphenols were all significantly (p < 0.05) higher in maohongnuo 6 (M6) than in the other stalks. Moreover, stalk M6 contained higher (p < 0.05) levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging capacity. There were significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations between total polyphenols and TAC, superoxide dismutase, GPX, CAT, and DPPH free-radical scavenging capacity. The total gas production was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by the sorghum stalk variety and incubation time. Stalk J4 displayed higher values for the (p < 0.05) immediately soluble fraction and the potential extent of gas production, while stalk M6 exhibited a significantly lower (p < 0.05) insoluble fraction level. Furthermore, stalk M6 exhibited a significantly higher level of (p < 0.05) ruminal fluid propionic acid, but its level of butyric acid and its ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid were both significantly lower (p < 0.05). Taken together, the results reported in this paper indicate that the chemical composition, polyphenol compounds, antioxidant activity, and in vitro rumen fermentation all vary greatly among different varieties of sorghum stalks.

The Physical and Optical Studies of Crystalline Silica Derived from the Green Synthesis of Coconut Husk Ash

The green synthesis of silica has been extensively explored over the last few decades, as silica compounds found in commercial products can cause negative effects on human health. This calls for alternative ways to produce silica that are safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Some of the agricultural wastes proven to contain silica include rice husk, sugarcane bagasse, coconut shells and coconut husk. This paper describes the synthesis of silica from coconut husk waste, and its physical and optical properties for potential utilization in optical applications. Coconut husk was subjected to fire at 500–700 °C so as to form coconut husk ash (CHA), and was then treated with sulfuric acid to extract silica from the ash. Most of the weight degradation subsequently occurred at temperatures from 221 to 360 °C. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis proved that 91.76% of the silica was obtained, while major peaks on the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum were observed after the acid treatment. Chemical bonds such as Si-O-Si, CH2, -OH and Si-OH were found in the spectrum of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Furthermore, the particles displayed rod-like shapes and irregular sizes, but the particle with sizes ranging from 200–750 nm decreased after the acid treatment. The relationship between the absorption coefficient and photon energy was obtained by finding the optical energy gap, which was found to be 4.3 eV. These data points provide critical information when used in optical applications. The overall studies show that synthesized silica has great potential for use in optical field applications.

Use of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) to substitute soybean meal in ruminant diet: An in vitro rumen fermentation study

Aim:

This experiment aimed to evaluate substitution of soybean meal (SBM) by black soldier fly (BSF) larvae meal in a napier grass diet as performed by an in vitro rumen fermentation system.

Materials and Methods:

Samples of napier grass, SBM, and BSF larvae age 1 week (BSF1) and 2 weeks (BSF2) were arranged according to the following dietary treatments (dry matter [DM] basis): T1, 100% napier grass; T2, 60% napier grass + 40% SBM; T3, 60% napier grass + 40% BSF1; T4, 60% napier grass + 40% BSF2; T5, 60% napier grass + 20% SBM + 20% BSF1; and T6, 60% napier grass + 20% SBM + 20% BSF2. The samples were determined for their chemical composition and were incubated in vitro using buffered rumen fluid for 48 h at 39°C. In vitro incubation was carried out in three runs and represented by two incubation bottles per run.

Results:

Supplementation of BSF, both BSF1 and BSF2, increased ether extract, neutral- and acid-detergent insoluble crude protein contents of T3-T6 diets. The T3 or T4 diet resulted in lower ruminal ammonia concentration, in vitro DM digestibility, and in vitro organic matter (OM) digestibility as compared to those in T2 (p<0.05). Diet supplemented with BSF produced lower methane emission in comparison to that of supplemented with SBM (p<0.05). Diet containing BSF2 produced lower methane and methane per digestible OM than that containing BSF1 (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

Substitution of SBM by BSF in ruminant diet results in a lower nutritional value in vitro but with an advantage of lowering ruminal methane emission.

Development and validation of near-infrared spectroscopy for the prediction of forage quality parameters in Lolium multiflorum

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is an important cool-season, annual forage crop for the grassland rotation system in Southern China. The primary aim of breeding programs is always to seek to improve forage quality in the animal productivity system; however, it is time- and labor-consuming when analyzed excessive large number of samples. The main objectives of this study were to construct near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) models to predict the forage chemistry quality of Italian ryegrass including the concentrations of crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC). The results showed that a broader range of CP, NDF, ADF and WSC contents (%DM) were obtained (4.45–30.60, 21.29–60.47, 11.66–36.17 and 3.95–51.52, respectively) from the samples selected for developing NIRS models. In addition, the critical wavelengths identified in this study to construct optimal NIRS models were located in 4,247–6,102 and 4,247–5,450 cm^-1 for CP and NDF content, and both wavelengths 5,446–6,102 and 4,247–4,602 cm^-1 could for ADF and WSC. Finally, the optimal models were developed based on the laboratory data and the spectral information by partial least squares (PLS) regression, with relatively high coefficients of determination (R²_CV, CP = 0.99, NDF = 0.94, ADF = 0.92, WSC = 0.88), ratio of prediction to devitation (RPD, CP = 8.58, NDF = 4.25, ADF = 3.64, WSC = 3.10). The further statistics of prediction errors relative to laboratory (PRL) and the range error ratio (RER) give excellent assessments of the models with the PRL ratios lower than 2 and the RER values greater than 10. The NIRS models were validated using a completely independent set of samples and have coefficients of determination (R²_V, CP = 0.99, NDF = 0.91, ADF = 0.95, WSC = 0.91) and ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD, CP = 9.37, NDF = 3.44, ADF = 4.40, WSC = 3.39). The result suggested that routine screening for forage quality parameters with large numbers of samples is available with the NIRS model in Italian ryegrass breeding programs, as well as facilitating graziers to monitor the forage development stage for improving grazing efficiency.

Mechanical property of different corn stover morphological fractions and its correlations with high solids enzymatic hydrolysis by periodic peristalsis

Selective structure fractionation combined with periodic peristalsis was exploited to improve the conversion performance of corn stover. The increase of glucan and lignin content and the decrease of xylan content in stem pith were highest after SE, whereas they were lowest in stem node. Glucan conversion increased in this order: steam node<stem rind<whole corn stover (WCS)<stem pith<leaf sheath<leaf. Glucan conversion using periodic peristalsis increased by 10-17% before 24h compared with that using incubator shaker. Stem pith, leaf sheath, leaf, and WCS showed lower hardness and total work in texture profile analysis, resulting in higher glucan conversion compared with stem node and stem rind. Periodic peristalsis reduced hardness and total work before 24h, which was consistent with increased glucan conversion. Periodic peristalsis was an effective strategy to increase high solids enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of different corn stover morphological fractions.

Highly stable rice-straw-derived charcoal in 3700-year-old ancient paddy soil: evidence for an effective pathway toward carbon sequestration

Recalcitrant charcoal application is predicted to decelerate global warming through creating a long-term carbon sink in soil. Although many studies have showed high stability of charcoal derived from woody materials, few have focused on the dynamics of straw-derived charcoal in natural environment on a long timescale to evaluate its potential for agricultural carbon sequestration. Here, we examined straw-derived charcoal in an ancient paddy soil dated from ~3700 calendar year before present (cal. year BP). Analytical results showed that soil organic matter consisted of more than 25% of charcoal in charcoal-rich layer. Similarities in morphology and molecular structure between the ancient and the fresh rice-straw-derived charcoal indicated that ancient charcoal was derived from rice straw. The lower carbon content, higher oxygen content, and obvious carbonyl of the ancient charcoal compared with fresh rice straw charcoal implied that oxidation occurred in the scale of thousands years. However, the dominant aromatic C of ancient charcoal indicated that rice-straw-derived charcoal was highly stable in the buried paddy soil due to its intrinsic chemical structures and the physical protection of ancient paddy wetland. Therefore, it may suggest that straw charcoal application is a potential pathway for C sequestration considering its longevity.

Mutation of cellulose synthase gene improves the nutritive value of rice straw

Rice straw is an important roughage resource for ruminants in many rice-producing countries. In this study, a rice brittle mutant (BM, mutation in OsCesA4, encoding cellulose synthase) and its wild type (WT) were employed to investigate the effects of a cellulose synthase gene mutation on rice straw morphological fractions, chemical composition, stem histological structure and in situ digestibility. The morphological fractions investigation showed that BM had a higher leaf sheath proportion (43.70% vs 38.21%, p<0.01) and a lower leaf blade proportion (25.21% vs 32.14%, p<0.01) than WT. Chemical composition analysis showed that BM rice straw was significantly (p<0.01) higher in CP (crude protein), hemicellulose and acid insoluble ash (AIA) contents, but lower in dry matter (DM), acid detergent fiber (ADFom) and cellulose contents when compared to WT. No significant difference (p>0.05) was detected in neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) and ADL contents for both strains. Histological structure observation indicated that BM stems had fewer sclerenchyma cells and a thinner sclerenchyma cell wall than WT. The results of in situ digestion showed that BM had higher DM, NDFom, cellulose and hemicellulose disappearance at 24 or 48 h of incubation (p<0.05). The effective digestibility of BM rice straw DM and NDFom was greater than that of WT (31.4% vs 26.7% for DM, 29.1% vs 24.3% for NDFom, p<0.05), but the rate of digestion of the slowly digested fraction of BM rice straw DM and NDF was decreased. These results indicated that the mutation in the cellulose synthase gene could improve the nutritive value of rice straw for ruminants.

Mapping of quantitative trait loci for fiber and lignin contents from an interspecific cross Oryza sativa×Oryza rufipogon

Rice straw is always regarded as a by-product of rice production, but it could be a significant energy source for ruminant animals. Knowledge of the genetic variation and genetic architecture of cell wall traits will facilitate rice breeders by improving relevant traits through selective breeding and genetic engineering. The common wild rice, Oryza rufipogon Griff., which is considered to be the progenitor of Oryza sativa, has been widely utilized for the identification of genes of agronomic importance for rice genetic improvement. In the present study, the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), and ADL/NDF ratio was carried out in two environments using a backcrossed inbred line (BIL) population derived from a cross between the recurrent parent Xieqingzao B (XB) and an accession of Dongxiang wild rice (DWR). The results indicated that all four traits tested were continuously distributed among the BILs, but many BILs showed transgressive segregation. A total of 16 QTLs were identified for the four traits, but no QTLs were in common in two environments, suggesting that environment has dramatic effects on fiber and lignin syntheses. Compared to the QTL positions for grain yield-related traits, there were no unfavorable correlations between grain yield components and cell wall traits in this population. The QTLs identified in this study are useful for the development of dual-purpose rice varieties that are high in grain yield and are also high in straw quality.

Chemical composition, in vitro digestibility and gas production of straws from different varieties and accessions of chickpea

Chemical composition, in vitro digestibility and gas production of straw from four different varieties of Kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum) were studied. Kinetics of fermentation of straws from 19 different accessions of chickpea was also evaluated using gas production technique. Significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in the yield of straw [from 1041 to 1174 kg dry matter (DM)/ha] from different varieties. The proportion of seed/straw from different varieties varied from 0.61 to 0.93. Crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre content of straw ranged from 28.1 to 35.8, 598.6 to 645.4 and 459.2 to 473.4 g/kg DM respectively. Organic matter digestibility was different (p < 0.05) among varieties and varied from 471.4 to 535.5 g/kg DM. Potential gas production (A), the rate constants (c and d) and lag times of straws from different chickpea varieties were not different (p > 0.05). However, the rate constants (c and d) and lag times were different (p < 0.05) among accessions. Potential gas production (A) differed (p < 0.05) approximately twofold among different accessions. The results emphasized that in any evaluation of chickpea varieties or accessions, where straw of this legume seed is used as an animal feed, not only seed yield but also yield and quality of straw should be taken into consideration.

Identification of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for acid detergent fiber in rice straw by bulked segregant analysis

Rice straw is a significant energy source for ruminant animals. The acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of rice straw is negatively related to intake potential of forages. Therefore, improving the digestibility of rice straw by reducing ADF content is a necessary goal in breeding programs. In the present study, simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and the bulked segregant analysis (BSA) approach were used to identify molecular markers associated with ADF. A total of 121 BC1F1 plants derived from the cross of JX974 (a cultivar with high ADF, 36.6%) and Dongxiang wild rice (a wild rice with low ADF, 31.3%), with JX974 as a recurrent parent, were used to conduct BSA. Phenotypic analysis showed that ADF displayed a normal distribution in BC1F1 population, indicating the involvement of polygenes. A SSR marker, RM566 on chromosome 9, was identified for ADF. A small linkage map consisting of five markers was constructed by adding four other markers, and a quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling ADF was mapped at the RM321-RM566 interval, with a distance of 3.9 cM to RM566. This QTL explained 12% of the total phenotypic variation of ADF, and its additive effect was 3%. This study is the first step to map QTL for ADF, one of the plant cell wall components in rice.

Rapid prediction of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin of rice materials by near-infrared spectroscopy

A rapid predictive method based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was developed to measure acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) of rice stem materials. A total of 207 samples were divided into two subsets, one subset (approximately 136 samples) for calibration and cross-validation and the other subset for independent external validation to evaluate the calibration equations. Different mathematical treatments were applied to obtain the best calibration and validation results. The highest coefficient of determination for calibration (R2) and coefficient of determination for cross-validation (1-VR) were 0.968 and 0.949 for ADF, 0.846 and 0.812 for NDF, and 0.897 and 0.843 for ADL, respectively. Independent external validation still gave a high coefficient of determination for external validation (r2) and a low standard error of performance (SEP) for the three parameters; the best validation results were SEP = 0.933 and r2 = 0.959 for ADF, SEP = 2.228 and r2 = 0.775 for NDF, and SEP = 0.616 and r2 = 0.847 for ADL, indicating that NIR gave a sufficiently accurate prediction of ADF and ADL content of rice material but a less satisfactory prediction for NDF. This study suggested that routine screening for these forage quality parameters with large numbers of samples is possible with NIRS in early-generation selection in rice-breeding programs.