PURPOSE Epigenetic modifications critically regulate the expression of immune-related genes in response to inflammatory stimuli. It has been extensively reported that a high concentrate (HC) diet can trigger systemic inflammation in dairy cows, yet it is unclear whether epigenetic regulation is involved in the expression of immune genes in the livers of dairy cows. This study aimed to investiga...

We evaluated energy and N utilization, performance, milk fatty acid (FA) profile using grass silage-based diets when rapeseed oil (RO) was included in high- or low-forage diets. Four multiparous Nordic Red cows averaging 101 ± 16 days at the beginning of study were randomly assigned to a 4 × Latin square design with 2 factorial arrangement treatments. Each 21-d period consisted 14-d diet adapta...

Whole-crop wheat treated with 40 kg urea/t/DM was examined in two experiments as the sole forage offered ad libitum. The objective was to evaluate the nutritive value of the forage, and the response in milk production to energy and protein supplements. In Experiment 1, 12 Holstein Friesian lactating cows in three 4 4 Latin squares were offered four concentrates, AÐ6 kg/day of 208 g CP kg/DM, BÐ...

To evaluate the influence of mass of ruminal contents on voluntary intake and ruminal function, five ruminally cannulated steers (550 kg) were fed an orchard grass hay diet ad libitum in a 5 x 5 Latin square experiment. The mass of ruminal contents was altered by adding varying weights of modified tennis balls to the rumen before the initiation of each 15-d experimental period. Treatments consi...

1. The distributions of large herbivores in protected areas and their surroundings are becoming increasingly restricted by changing land use, with adverse consequences for wildlife populations. 2. We analyse changes in distributions of herbivore hotspots to understand their environmental and anthropogenic correlates using 50 aerial surveys conducted at a spatial resolution of 5 × 5 km(2) (n = 2...

background and objectivesintercropping or simultaneous growing of two or more crops on the same piece of land has the potential of enhanced ecosystem productivity. in a cereal-legume intercropping system, an increase in cereal and a decrease in legume intercrop yield is reported. several indices such as land equivalent ratio (ler), relative crowding coefficient (k), competitive ratio (cr), aggr...